Hiding under cover of 'work in progress'!

Fourteen flood mitigation projects in Guwahati not yet complete even as they are set to complete a year

 By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 16: As many as 14 of the 53 flood mitigation projects (FMPs) that were started in fiscal 2016-17 in Guwahati are yet to be completed. In some of the projects the executing agencies hide under the cover of the phrase ‘work in progress’. 

In Guwahati Division 1 three of the 22 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 1562.30 lakh were yet to be completed. While the authority has not cited the reason behind non-completion of two of the projects, in one project – construction of an RCC drain and cross-culvert at Bishnu Rabha Road from Bhetapara Chariali to Saukuchi tural Channel via Hockey Stadium –land dispute has been shown as the main hurdle. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 747.97 lakh. In the other two incomplete projects – Birubari Professor Colony Road from Khargeswar Talukdar Path up to Panchajanya Club along with Gayaram School for mitigation of flood with an estimated cost of Rs 33.05 lakh and construction of silt traps on by-lane of Dispur-Kacharibasti Road with an estimated cost of Rs 58.61 lakh – the authorities concerned have felt like mentioning the reasons for non-completion. They opted to hide under the cover of the phrase ‘work is progressing’.

Under City Division II as many as 17 projects were taken with as estimated cost of Rs 3310.20 lakh. However, nine of the projects have not been completed as yet. The projects that are still to be competed are – construction of two cross-culverts at Panjabari Road near Swarasati LP and ME Hindi School with an estimated cost of Rs 49.14 lakh, Rs 155.94-lakh improvement of Jakir Husain By-lane No. 9 (Gokul Path) and a portion of KK Handique Path in Warnd. 25 and 26, Rs 59.40-lakh improvement of Usha gar drain and culvert from Shiva Mandir to Sixty Feet Road including restoration of road’s hard crust, Rs 30.23-lakh construction of Kundil gar Path at Rukmini gar, Rs 96-lakh construction of RCC silt on upstream on Juripar near Purabi Dairy at Panjabari with inlet and outlet drains, Rs 76.50-lakh construction of Patkal Path drain culvert along with drain and culvert of by-lane No. 5 of Rukminigaon, Rs 1,380-lakh construction of diversion drain from PIBCO Point to Silsaku Beel via Express Way, Rs 275.21-lakh construction of roadside drain and culvert at Chilarai Path at Chachal Tiniali and Rs 258.40-lakh construction of roadside drain and culvert at Udayan Path. 

In North Guwahati State Road Division, Amingaon two of the five projects taken up there are still to be completed, nor the authorities concerned felt it necessary to cite the reasons for non-completion of works. The two projects are – Rs 48.74-lakh improvement of Kamakhya Temple by providing breast wall at vulnerable stretches of frequent land slide and Rs 97.8-lakh construction of RCC drain at Pandu Port Road. All the nine projects under PWD (Road) have been completed, but the liabilities of some of them are still to be cleared.   

All these projects were given allotment to contractors in March/April, 2017. The projects started a year back, but they are not yet complete. These are the projects that were set to be completed by the end of 2017. The immediate reasons shown for the delay of the works in a few of the projects are lack of construction materials and water remaining stagnt in low-lying areas.

Citing the reasons for non-completion of work in a few of the 13 projects, the authorities concerned opted to hide under the cover of the phase ‘work in progress’.