JNNURM funds go down the drain!

JNNURM funds go down the drain!
By Basavaraj Itnaal, DH News Service, Bangalore:
If you thought the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all prepared to prevent damage from the impending monsoons, heres reason to doubt it: The Palike will instead be busy with curative jobs since its work on remodelling of storm water drains (SWD) is only 30 per cent complete!

The Remodelling was scheduled to be completed latest by November 4, 2007. The Palike’s contingency plan for this monsoon includes clearing the roadside drains and keeping sandbags and dewatering pumps ready for flood mitigation.

The SWD remodelling had started three years ago as a preventive measure after several instances of water logging. However, the deadline has proved to be ambitious for BBMP, which has left large parts of the work, incomplete.

The centre had sanctioned Rs 643.06 crore for the task under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) but at the end of the first quarter of 2008-09, the Palike has only 30 per cent financial progress to show.

Interestingly, in September 2006 the overall progress was 14.84 pc with the Palike posting a financial progress of 22.86 per cent in Koramangala valley, Challaghatta Valley (16.60 pc), Hebbal (13.38 pc) and Vrushabhavathi valley (16.80 pc).

The estimation too was revised then and the cost was fixed at Rs 643.06 crore from Rs 496.63 crore.
Twenty one months later, on July 1, 2008 to precise, the progress is 24.61 pc, 19.25 pc, 32.52 pc and 36.90 pc respectively – an overall progress of 30 percent.

Lokayukta blamed
Palike officials blame the Lokayukta for this dismal performance. A senior official told Deccan Herald that a complaint of irregularities in SWD works had been placed before the Lokayukta, which in turn had asked Palike chief engineer (SWD) to enquire. When the report did not point out any major irregularity, the Lokayukta appointed another engineer to conduct a second enquiry. The second report too did not make any concrete charges.

Now the Lokayukta has decided to take up the matter himself and hence the delay, say sources. Since no civil work can be undertaken till November-December due to monsoons, citizens can expect more flooding.
The contract agreement stipulated a time frame of 18 months for the works with a defect liability period of two years and maintenance period of three years.

* Widening of primary drains and reconstruction of sidewalls
* Drain bed protection
*Removal of encroachments to remove bottlenecks
*Reconstruction of 130 inadequate culverts
* Re-routing of drain alignment where necessary
* Shifting of waterlines, sewers and manholes which are laid inside the drains
* Formation of service roads
* Provision of detention ponds in parks, open lands to reduce flood flows
*Provision of ground water recharge facility inside the drain