Drain Projects lag as bid process goes slack

Storm water drainage schemes under JNNURM hit by delays in tendering procedure, reveals report on PMC site

Drain Projects lag as bid process goes slack

Storm water drainage schemes under JNNURM hit by delays in tendering procedure, reveals report on PMC site

In the third instalment of our series on monsoon preparedness, MiD DAY delves into the status of storm water drainage projects under the centrally-funded Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which have been lagging behind because of tendering issues and should have been completed by now.

Job half-done: Decrepit condition ofu00a0 abutting drainage pipes are not a
very encouraging sight near F C Road, Deccan

The PMC has not repaired the roads after the Maharshtra Natural Gas
Limited laid its gas pipelines near Apte road. Pics/Vivek Sabnis, Jignesh Mistry

This has been revealed after a careful study of a Quarterly Performance Report (QPR) prepared by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), available on its website. The report, which dates from October to December 2010, also chronicles the development and status of several other projects implemented under the JNNURM, covering various aspects like the funds allotted, amount spent along with chronology of tenders with regards to their release and awarding dates.

According to the report, the scheduled completion date was January this year, but now has been extended till December. The report also points to hiccups in tendering process, which delayed the overall project. The tender release and awarding dates for all were April 11, 2009 and June 3, 2010 respectively.

The works mostly include channelisation of nullahs, widening and building of drainages and laying of storm water pipes for smooth flow of accumulated storm water. The Rs 39,967.18 lakh project, which has received funding from the Centre and the State as well, involves building storm water drains in various basins like Baner, Wadgaon, Kharadi and Wadgaon Budruk.

Independent architect and expert in drainage and sewerage systems Sarang Yadwadkar said the hiatus between the dates for the floating and the issue of tenders was long and ludicrous.
"This often leads to cost-escalation. Secondly, they are holding meetings with the local residents at the project-execution stage. This should have been done long ago in the project-planning stage itself," he said.

Fund fount
Rs 50 crore have been released hitherto. The Centre has given Rs 25 crore, State has given Rs 10 crore and the PMC has contributed Rs 15 crores.

The Other Side
Superintending Engineer Vinay Deshpande, in-charge of the project, said there have been several instances of encroachments at various basins. The project was delayed because they had to be cleared. "Often the required road width is not available to carry out laying of storm water pipes and this entails additional work," he said. Asked about the constant delays in the tendering process, he said he could not comment on it, as the project was formerly with Vivek Kharwadkar, additional city engineer, and most of the tenders were floated then. Kharwadkar refused to comment on the issue when contacted.