JAGANNATHPUR UPAZILA OF SUNAMGANJ: Work on water supply project drags on even after seven years

SYLHET, Jan 07: Work on the much-talked about water supply project in Jagannathpur upazila headquarters of Sunamganj district could not be completed even in seven years after its original timeline, causing serious commotion among the town dwellers. The officials concerned also failed to say when it would be completed amid alleged negligence of the contractors. Sources informed that the project for water supply to 23 pourashavas was approved at the ECNEC meeting on September 13, 2018.

An allocation of Tk 500 million (Tk 50 crore) was given for the Jagannathpur Pourashava water supply and sanitation work while the Pourashava and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) were engaged in the execution and supervision of the long-desired project.

Under the project, installation of a groundwater treatment plant, overhead tank, a solid waste compost composting system and 26 km water pipe line was to be completed within a two-year deadline. As many as 36 dustbins have not been constructed while some petty works have remained still undone. Two three-tonne trucks are yet to reach the Pourashava.

Although there had been trouble over land acquisition at the very beginning, it was resolved through 4.43 acre land allotment by the government at Hobibpur in 2020 while some works like solid waste composing system were dropped.

Former acting mayor of Jannathpur Pourashava Shofiqul Haque said that he had tried to finish the job in time but things were delayed due to bureaucratic complexity on occasions.

One of the two contractors left the site and abandoned the work on a drain at a ward, he added, saying it is challenging to finish the work in a year even.

Abdul Hai of the Pourashava area said that things were delayed at the very beginning of the project amid the contractor's negligence as well as apathy on the part of the Pourashava authority.

The inhabitants of the municipal area demand things should be completed as soon as possible since water crisis had already become acute at many places. Contacted, Pourashava engineer Satish Goshwami told this correspondent that the work had slowed down in the last one year.

However, it may take six months more to finish things, he said, adding it was hampered on several occasions in the past.

Setting water supply line is done by 90 per cent while household connection has been delayed a little. On the other hand at the very beginning it has not been possible to arrange land for the project. However it was later resolved with a government land allotted at Hobibpur. Meanwhile, the PDB is taking much time in giving electricity connection to the project, the engineer said, adding the contractor has also failed to establish the solid waste composting plant yet. "Any way we are doing our job to finish things in six months," he said.

An official at the PHE said, "We are trying to make it completed as soon as possible."

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