Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Amid the state government’s ongoing Vikas Yatra in different districts across the state, hundreds of villages are still deprived of development despite the government spending huge sums of money. This is because of systemic corruption and neglect.
One such incident was reported at Bhopwar village in Sardarpur tehsil of Dhar district where the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department is working on the tap water plan in the outlying village of Bhopawar spending a whopping Rs 2.52 crore.
But, water is not reaching the village taps in sufficient quantity as at many places the pipeline has been laid at a greater depth than required.
If that wasn't enough, the contractor has provided tap connections to 40 to 45 houses from a single valve, in contravention of the technical regulations that allow for only 25 connections from a single valve. As a result, the water pressure is very low.
Notably, Bhopwar village is only three kilometres from the Govindpura Reservoir. The pipeline near the Mahi river has been laid just beneath the surface and not sufficiently deep underground thus there are chances of it being swept away when the river gets flooded during the monsoon.
Bhopwar villagers also claimed that the pipeline laid in the village street does not have adequate protection. It is covered with just dust powder and gravel and there are high chances that the pipeline will develop leaks. The repair work on the cement concrete road that was dug during the pipeline digging is also subpar, villagers said.
Sarpanch Shardabai Makhod stated that the contractor laid the pipeline only eight inches deep from the ground. As a result, there is always the risk of the pipeline getting exposed and there is constant danger of it developing leaks due to the weight of heavy vehicles.
Already the pipeline has begun to break and burst in many places. The contractor also did not properly install the pipeline. As a result of the leakage, water is being wasted in many places.
Madan Makhod, a Sarpanch representative, stated that earlier water was delivered to the village via a pipeline from the old tank. However, the contractor damaged the old pipeline while laying the new pipeline.
Thus now neither the old pipeline nor the new pipeline provides enough water to the people.
Makhod stated that they had already informed SDM Rahul Chauhan and PHE SDO Navalsingh Bhuria of their problems, but no concrete action has been taken so far in resolving the issue.
