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| Jammu’s Septage Management project in doldrums, 4.16 crore rupees go down the drain | | The Smart City Fiasco! | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 30: The much hyped Septage Management project for Jammu city continues to remain in doldrums rendering expenditure of Rs 4.16 crore unfruitful. Shockingly, no penalty had been imposed on the firm/ contractor for the delay.
Official documents reveal that in Jammu city, the effluent from septic tanks of households in the uncovered areas of Zone III was getting discharged directly in nearby Nallahs/ streams or open fields and ultimately flowing into the streams. To provide sewage facility in these areas namely (i) Bahu east, (ii) Bahu west, (iii) Gandhi Nagar, (iv) Trikuta Nagar and (v) Nanak Nagar., the project ‘Septage Management Project (SMP)’ was approved in May 2016 by SLTC, under the scheme.
The land for construction of SMP was identified at Chatha, Jammu and the DPR based on ASP technology was prepared by the consultant namely M/s ALPS Engineers PMR Associates for the project, at an estimated cost of Rs 8.65 crore. The project had six components namely Activated Sludge Process (ASP) type Septage Treatment Plant complete (Rs 3.52 crore), vehicle and equipment (Rs 3.11 crore), Building and other allied works (Rs 89.92 lakh), Electrification (Rs 11.72 lakh), Transformer and transmission line (Rs 58.41 lakh) and Project contingencies (Rs 41.15 lakh). which also included the construction of Septage Treatment Plant (STP) at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu to cater to the requirements of the areas under ‘B’ and ‘C’ Divisions of Jammu city, instead of specific areas of Zone III as the Floriculture Department did not hand over the land at Chatha to UEED.
Records reveal that as per the DPR, the Septage Treatment Plant of 164 KLD capacity at an estimated cost of Rs 5.53 crore was based on Activated Sludge Process (ASP) technology-As per Environment Engineer (SPCB) Jammu, dry mass having high values of BOD are to be diluted first with water to create effluent having parameters as of sewage waste (low BOD and TSS value) and treated later on through ASP. The trial run of all essential units was to be carried out for six months after testing and commissioning.
As per the records of the EE, (S&D) Division, Jammu, the bids were invited between July 2016 and September 2016 for construction of Septage Treatment Plant on ASP technology by the Department at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. The tender could not be finalised due to the bids not fulfilling the required conditions. The Contract Committee of the Department decided in March 2017 that possibilities for the STP be explored for adopting the latest technology only after obtaining clearance from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and expertise from IITs/ National Environment Engineering Research Institute. The EE, SPCB suggested analysis of samples of actual septage at different locations for various parameters like biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total solids etc and thereafter suggested modified version of septic tanks with Anaerobic Digester to treat septage anaerobically, as ASP technology was not cost effective and pragmatic.
The Department allotted in August 2017 the work of construction of STP (capacity: 164 Kilo Litre per Day (KLD)) based on ASP technology to a contractor namely M/s Sophisticated Industrial Materials, New Delhi on turnkey basis at an estimated cost of Rs 4.37 crore, without obtaining clearance from the SPCB.
The firm was selected on a single tender basis and work for construction of STP was to be completed within 12 months and in case of delay in completion of work, penalty up to 10 per cent of the contract value was to be imposed for the first six months. |
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