N-Choe in Sector 63, Mohali, on Monday. Jasbir Malhi
CLEANING OF the N-choe, which cuts through Mohali, hit a roadblock as the Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to complete the survey of the choe aimed at checking blockages in the flow. MC officials said that though they have sent several reminders to the drainage department, they did not get any reply while the local councillors said that they want the work completed in two to three months so that the flow of water does not stop like it happened last year during the rains.
At the last MC House meeting on January 5, the issue of the N-choe was raised by SAD Councillor Kanwaljeet Singh Ruby. He urged the mayor and the MC commissioner to start the cleaning work as grass had grown in the N-choe thereby blocking the flow of drained water.
Speaking to Chandigarh Newsline, Ruby said they met the MC as well as GMADA (Greater Mohali Area Development Authority) officials and raised the issue in the House but to no avail. He further stated that he, along with a delegation of area residents, met the MC commissioner and took up the issue with him. “The commissioner told us that they have made an estimate of Rs 56 lakh to be spent on cleaning the choe, but nothing has been done since then,” Ruby added.
When asked whether work was not being done due to the ongoing problems between the mayor and the local bodies department, Ruby said it could be one of the reasons but common people were suffering. Ruby also said that the MC should clear the status of the progress on the issue so far.
Mayor Kulwant Singh and Commissioner Sandeep Hans then decided to form a team of MC engineers to conduct the survey and the mayor also informed the House that they had tied up with the drainage department to clean the choe as the former had the required machinery to remove the silt and grass from the choe’s bed.
Hans said he had written to the the drainage department to start work but he did not get any reply in the last one month. He added that he had brought the matter to the mayor’s notice. The executive engineer of the drainage department, H S Mandiratta, was not available for comment, though.
The N-choe initiates from Sector 29, Chandigarh before crossing over to Mohali and entering the city at Phase VIII near YPS School. After entering Mohali, it crosses Phase IX, Sector 66, Sector 82 and NIPER. Grass has grown over a 4 km-long area in the choe which cuts through residential areas of the city.