ERA defies PHE recommendations Stalemate over HDPE pipes continues

JAMMU, Mar 27: No respond was given to PHE department after receiving letter no. PM/JKUSDIP/ERA/1/844-47 dated February 19 from the office of PHE Mechanical Urban Circle Jammu, now Chief Engineer KK Gupta has written another letter to Economical Reconstruction Agency (ERA) where the department has asked them to stop the usage of High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) Pipes in all water supply projects of the state due to non availability of expert staff to deal with HDPE Pipes.
However, ERA seems to be unmoved for reasons better known to them not adhering to replacement of HDPE pipes by Ductile Iron (DI) Pipes.
“The HDPE pipes used in Srinagar city in recently commissioned drainage system under various centrally sponsored projects like JNNURM/UIDSSMT have also totally collapsed and failed to tackle the water logging problems in Kashmir valley during recent inclement weather,” this was revealed by concerned officials.
As revealed by highly placed sources that these pipes have already been rejected for usage of water supply projects in the state of Uttarakhand by the nodal agency Payjal Nigam. They said, “The procedure for finalizing the pipe material in the water supply and other packages by ERA is vested with the design and supervision consultants which are Shah Technical Consultant (STC) Mumbai/Jammu in this case.”
They further revealed that the earlier Water Supply Projects in Jammu formulated on HDPE pipes which had been allotted to one of the leading construction Company of India namely SMS Paryavaran Limited also expressed its reservations in using the HDPE Pipes in the said tender floated by ERA recently.
They also said that while initially making these water supply packages, the contractor had proposed only DI Pipes in the said project. How and why the DI Pipes were subsequently replaced by the HDPE Pipes raises a question mark, they added.
On contacting Jammu ERA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sheikh Mustafa confirmed that the department has received a letter from PHE department Jammu regarding the issue where PHE Chief Engineer KK Gupta has mentioned that there is no expert team available with the PHE department to handle the faults and other technical problems being faced by using HDPE Pipes.
Referring to replacement of HDPE Pipes from the tender, CEO said, “We are going to have a meeting with PHE Commission Secretary Pawan Kotwal in this connection and the decision for the replacement the HDPE pipes from the tender will be taken after consulting the concerned authorities who have to decide either to replace or not.”
When contacted Jammu PHE Chief Engineer KK Gupta said, “ERA has not consulting the PHE department before floating the tender for water supply and other projects of the state who had recommended usage of HDPE pipes in tender and this is the reason to compel the department to write the ERA about the recommendation of HDPE pipes through various letters. We have no such manpower to maintain and to handle the faults and other technical problems being faced by using HDPE Pipes in water supply and other projects which will create problem for the department in future.”
Replying to query over the recommendation of PHE department, CE said, “We have not got any respond from ERA. Now, the department has decided to take up the matter with Director and accordingly act on the issue.
When contacted former PHE Chief Engineer BR Dogra, Jammu said, “When I was SE in Udhampur, we faced lots of problems while handling the HDPE Pipes over the leakage, breakage and other related faults which were used in Water Supply Projects under UNICEF sponsored programme.”
Asking about his association with Water Supply Segment for many decades, Dogra said, “Since 1984-85, the department had categorically rejected the usage of HDPE pipes in the state and if the same is used in water supply and other projects, it will be disastrous for the state.”
He added that I personally requested the PHE Minister Shyam Lal Sharma to take up the issue seriously with ERA and concerned agencies so that people will not deprive of drinking water and other basic facilities committed by the government.
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