Indian Express 18.02.2010
Rs 1-cr water reservoir is now home to pigs: DJB survey
Express News Service Tags : water reservoir, delhi Posted: Thursday , Feb 18, 2010 at 0131 hrs
New Delhi: A Delhi Jal Board survey has revealed before the Central Information Commission (CIC) that a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) water supply system has become home for pigs and cattle, instead of housing equipment and pipelines taking water to Delhi residents.
Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, who presided over the hearing, said: “A discussion with about 15 officers of the Delhi government indicates that the DDA appears to have spent about Rs 1 crore for laying a system of pipes and underground reservoir. The DJB claims that when the joint inspection was done it was found that the reservoir had no pipes or equipment for pumping and it was housing pigs and cattle.”
Gandhi was hearing an appeal by Jawahar Singh of Bindapur Pocket-4 area against the refusal by the Delhi government to disclose details of funds allocated for water supply to his “authorised colony”.
The DJB said water supply to Bindapur Pocket-4 is a distant reality and there are no inputs to “what happened to the money spent” on the project. “It is apparent that the Delhi government is incapable of supplying water, a basic function that the government has to fulfill. In spite of two chief secretaries loftily committing that water has to be supplied to this colony, there is no urgency or will to ensure that water is supplied to this colony,” Gandhi said.
The Commission directed a copy of its order to be sent to Chief Minister for perusal.
