AGNELO PEREIRA
MAPUSA
The much touted sewerage project for Mapusa and the North Goa coastal belt (Calangute-Baga) has hit a financial block and continues to miss completion deadlines.
The speed of sewerage work has been reduced to a crawl due to State government’s failure to release funds of more than Rs 16 crore to Simplex Infrastructures Ltd which is executing the job.
The last payment made to Simplex was in August this year even as its March bill has been pending for almost nine months now.
For almost a year, in 2016-17, when the controversy of Louis Berger pay-off scandal was at its peak in the State, no payment was made to the company.
Sources informed that in 2017 when Manohar Parrikar came back to head the coalition government in the State, payment issues were sorted out and funds were released to the company.
But soon after Parrikar fell ill, payment issues showed up again, as several bills are awaiting clearance.
“For the last several months we have not received payment. Obviously, work has slowed down,” an official with the Simplex informed.
The contract to lay a sewerage line in Mapusa and the North Goa coastal belt of Calangute-Baga was awarded to Simplex Infrastructures Ltd in 2012 and work on the project began in April 2013.
The total cost of the project was pegged at Rs 152.72 crore and was scheduled to be completed in September 2015.
For record, the laying of sewerage pipeline in several parts of the State is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
With a total of 1,429 manholes and 1,450 inspection chambers in place, sewerage pipeline network of 38.30 km in length is complete in Mapusa.
At the moment 90 per cent work on water testing of manholes has been completed.
The Sewerage Treatment Plant at Camarkhazan, Mapusa is also complete but cannot be operated for want of electrical connection.
Similarly, 1,044 manholes out of 1,060 and 1,150 inspection chambers out of 1,200 have been completed along the 30.96 km sewerage pipeline in Calangute-Baga.
Water testing of 984 manholes has been completed in the coastal village.
The Sewerage Treatment Plant in Baga is complete in all respects but work to set up two intermediate sewage pumping stations is yet to be completed.
PWD Superintendent Engineer, Sunil Karekar incharge of the JICA project informed that local problems were responsible for the initial hindrance.
“More than financial constraints we faced a number of localised issues particularly in Calangute which has led to delay in completion of the project. But with most of the issues sorted out the project will be completed very soon,” said Karekar.
The SE informed that work in Mapusa was almost complete and once the STP received power connection a final testing with raw water would be undertaken there.
He also said that there was some opposition for setting up of two intermediate sewage pumping stations in Calangute-Baga area which has now been sorted out.
