The Nanghat drinking water projects, which were executed by spending Rs 62 crore, out of Rs 71 crore total budget, to solve the water crisis in Pauri town, has failed to serve its purpose because of severe anomalies in its execution.
Taking cognisance on it, the Chief Secretary had ordered a high level enquiry but is yet to see any progress in it. It has raised a question mark over the state government and district administration as well.
More than Rs 62 crore were spent on the construction of the project, but the scheme proved insufficient to meet the requirement of drinking water to district headquarters Pauri.
Pauri town, which is the regional and district headquarter, had been facing the severe drinking water scarcity despite the Alaknanda pumping scheme of Srinagar. Before inception of Uttarakhand, the people were raising the demand for construction of the scheme and in the early nineties during President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, then UP Governor Moti lal Vohra during his visit to Pauri approved the project. later the project got final approved due to consistent effort of then Union Minister Maj Gen.BC Khanduri in 2003 and planning commission had approved Rs five crore for the project in the initial stage, but the released of funds was withdrawal later by congress led central government and state government was asked to facilitate the necessary funds for it.
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna inaugurated the dream project on November 9, 2012, but this inauguration has turned out to be little more than formality because the desired service has not yet been provided. The locals had been demanding high level technical inquiry or CBI inquiry into the negligence and misuse of public money in its execution.
The Chief Secretary has ordered an inquiry by a committee led by the Garhwal Commissioner. The project was constructed by the Peyjal Nigam Pauri and many executive engineers had shared responsibility of completing this dream project. This project was initially only gravity based but it was later linked with the pumping system established in Khand particularly for summers when the quantity of water becomes less at the source. The cost of this project has gone up from Rs 43.28 crore to Rs 71.37 crore.
The Nanghat natural water source is in the remote area of Thalisain Tehsil in Pauri district and is located in the midst of a forest area. This project was designed to supply 4.25 MlD (million litres per day) water per day. According to the officials, with the first phase of the project 2.6 MlD water are being supplied to Pauri town. One filter of 2.6 MlD capacities installed whereas one reservoir of 13,500 kilo liters capacity has been constructed at Nagdev. The full 4.25 MlD water will be distributed in the second phase of the project in the year 2017.
The length of the pipeline of this project is 68.21 kilometer from the natural source Nanghat to Pauri town. So far Rs 62 crore has been spent on this project and the rest of money being spent in the remaining incomplete work. The technical experts point out that the DI (ductile iron) pipes used in the scheme are not feasible for the mountainous area and are generally used in plains. The question being asked is why the Payjal Nigam installed DI pipes covering a length of 46.21 kms.
It is being said that the DI pipes were purchased by the relative of one of the executive engineer involved in the construction of the project. Due to the pressure of water the gaskets are loosened and this cause leakage. The locals are blaming that in spite of more than Rs 60 crore being spent on the project the water supply has remained limited to only few minutes in the summer and 45 minutes in winter and demanding the inquiry of misuse of money and anomalies .