Even as the decks have been cleared for putting up a sewerage-drainage system in zone-1 areas under Ranchi Municipal Corporation, fate of under-construction drains made from the funds of Road Construction Department (RCD) hangs in balance with increasing probability that a portion of the fund being spent on the ongoing project will go down the drains.
After lingering for over a year, the sewerage-drainage project for zone-1 was approved by the Cabinet on September 1 with 18.55 per cent appreciation in the estimated budget for the project. Notably, Kanke Road and Ratu Road fall under the zone-1 areas of the proposed sewerage-drainage system which incidentally are the areas where the RCD has spent funds on drains along major roads. Notwithstanding, the underlying logic of the RCD’s construction works, the department is now admitting that some of them could become redundant.
“Some drains could be dismantled. However, that would not be more than 10 per cent of the construction work. We will try to assure that the figure doesn’t go up,” said Executive Engineer of the RCD, Ranchi Division, JP Singh.
The RCD’s ongoing drain construction project is part of the widening of roads and drains along major roads at a total cost of Rs125-crore. But the RCD is yet to arrive at the quantum of fund that will be go waste once the zone-1 of the proposed sewerage-drainage system starts.
Questions are being raised over the RCD’s hurried action to lay drains across the city, as the urban development department would soon be executing the long-awaited sewerage-drainage system in the capital.
Nonetheless, officials of the Ranchi Division indicated at starting a feasibility study to assess impact of the State government’s decision on their project being currently executed. Although the scope of such study would have been clear to the officials of the RCD, timing of initiating study remains wrapped in mystery. Despite several question marks on the various dimensions of the project, the department claims to take measures to restrict losses.
“We will assess construction work to see where drain has to be dismantled and will accordingly decide where to stop the work,” maintained Singh, adding that the department is in contact with the officials of Urban Development and agencies working on the sewerage-drainage project to have clear vision about what to do if the RMC’s project starts.
Interestingly, the RCD until few days back was confident that the drain construction work would complement the proposed drainage system for Ranchi.
Meanwhile, development of the sewerage collection system and drainage system for Zone-I envisages construction, erection, testing and commissioning of sewerage treatment plant based on modern technologies; construction, erection, testing and commissioning of sewage pumping station at Kanke; providing, lowering, laying, jointing and testing, rising main ductile iron pipe line for Ranchi City. Around 192 km long sewerage network under Morhabadi, Gonda and Kanke, besides 212 km long drainage pipeline will be constructed in the zone-1 project.
The zone-1 of the proposed system will be completed at Rs 359.25-crore against the initial bidding of Rs 198-crore which was revised by the RMC. Ranchi’s proposed sewerage-drainage system will be constructed under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.