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After 14 years, residents discover sewerage not connected to underground network

| MAY 26, 2019, 02:58 AM IST
After 14 years, residents discover sewerage not connected to underground network

the goan I network

MARGAO

Strange as it may seem, residents of a residential building in the commercial capital learnt 14 years too late that the building was never connected to the underground sewerage network by PWD officials.   

The bitter truth came to light when PWD workers were attending to an overflowing chamber in the residential complex earlier this week and discovered that the main sewage pipe connecting the residential building to the underground sewage main line was as clean and unused as ever, indicating that no sewage had ever flowed through the line during the last 14 years.   

Given the situation, the residents have now demanded a refund of the sewage charge and have also claimed for damages.   

Writing a letter to the PWD on behalf of the apartment owners, Jose Marie Miranda has requested the PWD Executive Engineer to first rectify the problem, and also raised the demand for refund of payments made to the department by way of the department’s claim of one quarter of water consumption charges for the last 13-14 years.   

Miranda also reserved the right to take legal action to expose the negligence and casual attitude of the Department. He pointed out that the residents had obtained the sewage connection of the entire building to the government sewage, under the Pilot Scheme, somewhere around 2005-06, adding that payment for the same was effected under Entry No. 0929 of 31/05/2005.   

“For the last three-four years, we have been facing sewage problems in the compound of the building, and have had to incur heavy expenditure in clearing chambers and re-tile part of the footpath. When we recently decided to investigate and check the sewage line, we were simply shocked to find that the sewage line, apparently laid about 13-14 years back, was never connected to the main underground sewage line. The last chamber which connects the main sewage line was found to be untouched with not even a drop of water passing through it. This was verified by the personnel of the Sewage Department which included the EE and the AE, who visited the site on May 16. After having broken the tar to check the connections, and having assured to rectify the problem and that the work would be completed by May 20, it is strange that your personnel have left the work as it is since Friday morning, causing undue inconvenience to the residents and the shop owners,” Miranda told the PWD Executive Engineer.   

Miranda told The Goan that the government should inquire into the episode and take the officials to task and mete out justice to the homeowners, who had been paying a quarter of the sewage bill unfailingly for the last 14 years. “If the sewage line was not connected to the main line, it only means that we were charged for the sewage fees when sewage never flowed into the main underground line,” Miranda added.     

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