Despite receiving Rs 500 crore from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for cleaning the sewer lines, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is blaming the engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD) for the waterlogging in the city. Washing his hands off in this regard, the mayor blamed the PWD for the accumulation of rain water in the streets.
“Accumulation of rainwater in important commercial areas of the city — Minto Park, Exide Crossing, S N Banerjee or the five-point Shyambazar crossing — takes place due to choked sewer lines. These sewer lines are supposed to be maintained by the PWD, which they seldom do,” said Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya had written to PWD minister Kshiti Goswami last week to start the work of cleaning the sewer lines. Goswami, however, rubbished the charges made by the mayor.
“There is no negligence on the part of the PWD. Sometimes water from the Ganga flows into the sewer lines which results in the deposition of excess silt,” said Goswami.
Bhattacharya met the PWD engineers last week in the municipal headquarters to chalk out the plan of action.
According to KMC records , the PWD maintains 20 per cent of the total sewer lines in the city.
When asked whether the JNNURM funds will be provided to PWD for cleaning the sewers, the mayor said: “We will not allow them to use the JNNURM funds for cleaning the areas under their jurisdiction.”
The sewer lines in some parts of Cathedral Street, Red Road, Tollygunge and parts of north Kolkata are supposed to be maintained by the PWD, Bhattacharya added.