5 years on, sewer connections elude Dehradun locality

Dehradun: Over 100 residents of the city's Badrinath Chhibber locality near DL Road have been waiting for sewer connections for the past five years. With the monsoon approaching, they say repeated complaints have gone unaddressed, raising concerns over sanitation and public health.Residents said sewer lines were laid in 2021 at a cost of several crores but have not been made operational. "To date, the system has not started functioning, nor has any information been provided on how consumers can obtain sewer connections," said resident K K Kandwal.They added that multiple complaints have been submitted to civic bodies over the years and a representation was also sent to the district administration earlier this month. In it, residents pointed out that many households have diverted sewage into open drains due to the lack of functional connections.They also alleged that the main sewer line was laid without inspection chambers. "These should have been constructed along with the main line. Now, rectifying the issue will require excavation of the road," residents said, adding that the work was left incomplete.According to the complaint, untreated sewage from Arya Nagar and nearby areas continues to flow through drains passing Chhibber Marg and DL Road before emptying into the Rispana river, causing a foul smell and posing a disease risk.Residents said drains remain clogged with debris, leading to waterlogging even after light rain. They alleged that sewage has corroded water supply pipes, resulting in contamination of drinking water. "As the pipelines are buried under debris, Jal Sansthan is unable to locate the exact leakage points. Residents may be consuming contaminated water, which is a serious health risk. There are senior citizens in many houses and a school nearby," a resident said.They also flagged an uneven drainage system, claiming drains are wide at the rear but narrow further ahead, worsening the problem. "Our locality is barely a kilometre from the state secretariat, yet basic facilities are missing. If sewage was to flow through drains into the Rispana anyway, what was the need to spend crores on a sewer line?" the complaint stated. Residents have demanded thorough cleaning and reconstruction of drains to identify and fix leakage points.Dehradun Municipal Corporation officials said, "Drains will be cleaned before the monsoon to prevent waterlogging." A senior Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan engineer said, "Households may need to apply individually for sewer connections", adding that the issue would be resolved soon.A junior engineer from Jal Sansthan said, "A camp will be organised in the area this weekend to facilitate applications for individual connections." He added that a site visit did not find sewage flowing in drains, contrary to residents' claims.