Six drain pumps were pressed into service to clean up the town after rain. (Express file photo)Even 13 days after a heavy downpour in Abohar, stagnant water has not been drained out of several government buildings, including the tehsil complex, court complex, SDM office and several government schools. Six drain pumps were pressed into service to clean up the town after rain. Abohar was recently ranked as the third dirtiest city of India in Swachh Survekshan 2020.
Apart from the town areas, nearly 60 villages in Fazilka district were impacted due to overflow of drainage nallahs after heavy rainfall on the intervening night of August 20 and 21.
Over 20,000 acres of standing crop was also submerged, and even on Wednesday farmers staged dharna on state highway for about six hours demanding compensation.
Abhijit Kaplish, Municipal Commissioner, Abohar said,”Our priority was to drain out rain water from residential areas first. Six pumps were deployed to drain out water from residential areas first. Apart from the heavy rainfall on August 20 and 21, it has been raining intermittently on many days, and this affects drainage work. Now, we will focus on Tehsil complex.”
Most Tehsil complex staffers have been working from home. The cleaning of the sewer in Abohar was to be done by private company, but the Commissioner said: “The company did not do sewer cleaning ahead of monsoons due to which the problem of drainage is more. At the same time, the same company was doing sewer installation work. We have taken operation and maintenance back from the company and will now do sewer cleaning ourselves. The company has left the sewer laying work incomplete which also needs to be done now by government.”
Sources said that the private company also did not recover pending bills from consumers, which it was supposed to do.
The Commissioner added, “Lack of sewer cleaning is a major reason for poor drainage and at the same time we also need storm sewer as well. We are aware of the drainage issues of the town…they are being addressed one by one.”