RTI exposes MCs failure water pipes not changed 40 years. If facts are any indication, the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) has not changed majority water supply pipes laid in ward number 25 around four decades ago! Same was the situation in rest of the wards. The MC authorities not only failed in regularly changing water pipes, even the water samples collected by the civic body were found unfit. Water samples collected by the MC authorities and local residents also yielded unsatisfactory results. These facts came to the fore through information sought under Right to Information (RTI) Act by Sanjay Sehgal, the Senior Vice Chairman of RTI Cell of Punjab Pradesh Committee. "The water pipes are checked and changed only when some waterborne disease outbreak takes place", he said. Sharing the information, Sehgal said that in most of the cases, water samples gathered from ward number 25 and tested in the laboratory failed, all thanks to around water pipes laid 35 to 40 years ago. "This shows the apathy of the elected councilors and the MC officials in providing potable water to the local residents. The situation is same in all the wards", he said. In his RTI application, Sehgal has asked that how old were the water pipes laid in New Gopal Nagar, Karar Khan Mohalla, Neela Mahal, Jain Colony, Tobri Mohalla, Sangra Mohalla, Teacher Colony, Sawan Nagar, Gurudev Nagar, New Grain Market, Krishan Colony and Kuccha Shiekh Pyara localities. Besides, he has asked that if any repair and maintenance of water pipes was done during the last 10 years. He also sought information about water samples collected, their results and the condition of water tanks. In its reply, the Public Information Officer (O&M) department maintained that the water pipes were laid by the Public Health system and Sewerage Board around 40 years ago. "From 2013-14, an amount of Rs 3 lakh to 3.50 lakh was sanctioned per month for the repair and maintenance of the water pipes. Before this period, there was no regular flow of funds to clean and maintain the water pipes in the localities", he said. Further, the PIO informed that the MC started its own laboratory in the year 2008, which was checking water samples till date. "Currently, local residents were also getting water samples checked at the laboratory", he said. To another RTI query about the status of water tanks in the Jalandhar civic body jurisdiction, it was revealed that only five water tanks were functional out of total 24. Interestingly, the water tanks were constructed around 35 to 40 years ago. Sehgal said that most of the water tanks were lying unused and should ne dismantled. "The MC spends around Rs 55 lakh to construct a water tank of 1 lakh gallon capacity", he said, adding that even the cleanliness required major expenses on the part of the MC.

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