CAG faults PWD for lack of strategic plans for water supply in Pondy

As such Rs 75.29 crore meant for these water supply works have been parked in the bank by the PSCDL for more than three years resulting in deprival of facilities identified under the Government of India funding.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report relating to the Puducherry government tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Thursday pointed out that the Public Works Department (PWD) had not prepared ''long term and strategic plans, and hence water supply needs of the public could not be addressed as envisaged''. The report for the year ended March 2021 stated that ''the available sources of water like waterbodies and lakes were not considered for augmentation of supply of water. There was also lack of enforcement mechanism by the PWD and planning authorities in recharging the ground water through rainwater harvesting (RWH) system,'' it said. A sum of Rs 75.29 crore relating to water supply schemes under 'Smart City Mission' was parked in a bank account for three years ''depriving the facilities identified''. The report also said that ''under the smart city project of the Government of India, the Puducherry municipal area was selected (March 2017) for enhancement of quality of life by improving smart civic infrastructure including provision of water supply''. The Puducherry Smart City Development Limited (PSCDL) established for this purpose had proposed various schemes which included ''urban water supply schemes'' at an estimated cost of Rs 75.29 crore. The report noticed that even after lapse of more than four years of formation of the PSCDL and receipt of first instalment of Rs 158 crore, none of the components of water supply schemes had been identified and taken up for execution till date. As such Rs 75.29 crore meant for these water supply works ''have been parked in the bank by the PSCDL for more than three years resulting in deprival of facilities identified under the Government of India funding''. The report stated that the intended objective of creation of water supply facilities remained ''unachieved''. The report stated that 13 new water supply works in Puducherry and one work in Karaikal at a cost of Rs 212.65 crore taken up during the period 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 were either not completed, or done with ''avoidable delays''.

The report noted that ''the quality of water being supplied to public was poor due to non-chlorination, direct supply of water to households from borewells, non-cleaning of overhead tanks and existence of high levels of TDS (total dissolved solids) or chloride''.

It was also stated that there were arrears of Rs 49.44 crore under water charges to be collected from the public.