Arunachal: IMC mayor inspects Rs 36 crore defunct sewerage treatment plant in Naharlagun

The mayor of Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) surveyed the controversial 36 crores sewerage treatment plant at Naharlagun on March 30.

Mayor informed that the STP was an old project which was sanctioned before the incumbent corporators were elected and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also questioned the IMC for the non-availability of the STP and even imposed a fine. 

IMC has constituted a four-member Committee of Councilors Kipa Takum, Lokam Anand, Tamuk Tagiang and Tadar Hanghi to study the reason behind the delay in the completion of the project, and simultaneously to submit the action taken report. 

Further responding to the query on any mismanagement of funds, Mayor stated ‘the concerned committee will study the whole issue and solve any lacuna. 

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Phassang also suggested the Concerned Engineer, and Contractors maintain quality while constructing the project. Such a project is very needful for the IMC jurisdiction where all the polluted waters from the Naharlagun will be treated and then release into the river maintaining the guidelines of the NGT.

Among others Commissioner –IMC Lika Tejji, EE-IMC(II) and other Corporators of Naharlagun accompanied the Mayor in the inspection.

Engineer alleged that this Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 1.0 work is overpaid without carrying out the designated works.
 
The funds sanctioned under these schemes have been embezzled by certain groups of people who even went to court doe investigation. 

Considering the above anomalies where the contractor concerned has delayed the work Mayor urged to probe the matter and do complete the work as per agreement. 

According to Mayor, IMC Itanagar municipal Corporation despite its tireless efforts to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the capital city all go in vain & Itanagar also gets tagged as the dirtiest city in India due to the delay of such crucial projects. 

Amrut 1.0 ATAL MISSION FOR REJUVENATION AND URBAN TRANSFORMATION scheme was launched earlier and from March 2023 Amrut 2.0 will begin under the Ministry of Housing & urban affairs. 

The AMRUT scheme is an initiative to provide basic civic amenities to urban areas to improve the quality of life with a major focus on the poor and the l. It is the first focused national water Mission, which was launched in 500 cities and covered 60% of the urban population.

" Today I came to my own IMC ward no 17 of Naharlagun along with commissioner IMC, engineer, and contractors to be aware of the ground reality of this incomplete sewerage water treatment plant as the two years deadline already crossed. Even after the halt of this scheme why the payment has not been released to the contractor is a matter of concern and I came here to know the reality of this huge pending project. Under the leadership of dynamic Chief Minister Pema Khandu & Prime minister Narendra Modi there is a trend that payment should be released after the work get has been done" Mayor stated. 

According to Mayor, this work has been done under the Solid waste management program since the Modi-led BJP government came to power. 

PM Modi initiated the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan mission in 2014 & as per that mission National Swachhta Sarvekshan team was formed to survey each and every state the main component of its survey include sewerage & septic treatment plant as any city which lacks this facility is incomplete as per inspection of cleanliness survey" Mayor said

Regarding the work progress, Mayor ascertained that it is not the duty of the Mayor or Deputy Mayor to scrutinize the work progress or its execution rather the concerned executive head look into it comprised of the commissioner & assistant commissioner, executive engineers, assistant and junior engineer who are held responsible for the proper execution of developmental schemes.

Tame Phassang, Mayor of Itanagar Municipal Corporation said, "I enlightened the Chief secretary of our state regarding the non-execution of this sewerage plant which I wished to be operational. I surveyed this project several times and even brought dignitaries like UD Minister and others. 

Ongoing projects like the Septic treatment plant, Solid waste management plant at Karsingsa and Dapo Yarlo are being regularly monitored by our IMC. Being a ward member & corporator of the same I came here to monitor the progress of this project. In our IMC there is no shortage of funds despite this why payments have not been released the question, and I reached this spot again to know the answer.

We should accept the truth that our city still didn't get its sewerage and septic treatment plant. Our commissioner and engineers can elaborate on the funds, agreement records, tenders and all about any scheme implemented by IMC. Any city which lacks a sewage plant is considered zero in terms of marks. From NGT also get a time frame to complete this project. I have funds but Still it will not be released if there is no satisfaction in the work. As a Mayor I didn't released one penny for this project, and for the proper execution I am regularly doing ground survey with media team and contractors, engineers and commissioner are answerable for the delay of this project. Citizens should know the progress of this sewerage treatment plant project because it's funded by public money.

As per records huge funds already been released and still funds are available for this project. If quality get compromised or there will be more delay in this project we will take action.

Meanwhile, Yumlam Take, executive engineer of Naharlagun division of Itanagar municipal Corporation informed that 9.60 crores already been released for this project under AMRUT.

"From our IMC we even issued show cause notice to M/s kurung kumey the company which got this tender on 2018 The reason of delay is the non execution of work by the contractor. The deadline for completion of this project was 2020 & total cost is 36 crores under AMRUT 1.0, Rs 9.60 crores which was released was for the complete sewerage networking of 16.7 km in which procurement of pipeline to commissioning the same, but in ground reality we found that only 150 metres work has been done for the same. According to engineer Yumlam Take contractor is now asking the IMC to release the advance payment of the work of civil portion which is contradictory to norms of the work.

According to our survey only 3 crore work has been done as per agreement out of the released amount of 9.6 crores. This is coinciding the situation as if we release the advance payment of civil work it will be a case of over expenditure & if anyhow the situation comes that contractor surrenders the work we will be in trouble. At this moment it seems it's a case od misuse of funds as required work has not been done as per the payment of said amount There is one more issue of land as the land is not measuring 4000 sq metres as pee agreement and wall has been constructed in small area. This land has been handed over to IMC by the contractor through agreement.

Khyoda Raja, the contractor of firm M/s Kurung kumey talking to media assured that he will soon complete the work after release of partial payments. This project was huge and much technical issues were now solved which caused the delay.