Suspended Jal Kal EE in Varanasi blames civic body: Minister suspended him over waterlogging; says pumps st...

Varanasi5 hours ago

The minister suspended the executive engineer; he raised questions over the municipal corporation. He said, "One person makes the mistake, while someone else is punished."

Varanasi Jal Kal's suspended executive engineer (EE) has questioned the action taken by Urban Development Minister AK Sharma. He said the waterlogging was caused by the Municipal Corporation's negligence, but he was made the scapegoat. The pump was shut down on 20 August after correspondence. This is done every year because of flooding. If everyone knew about this, how could it be my fault?

Following his claim, Dainik Bhaskar visited the 140 MLD pump house in Chaukaghat to understand how it operates. It also tried to find out where the negligence occurred and whether the Jal Nigam or the Municipal Corporation was more responsible. Read the report...

Pictures of the pump house

Minister AK Sharma had suspended Executive Engineer Pawan Kumar Gupta after the 140 MLD Chowkaghat pumping station was shut down.

At the Dinapur STP, garbage is separated and sewage is sent for treatment.

According to the suspended executive engineer, the pumping station is shut every year during floods.

Now read what suspended Executive Engineer (EE) Pawan Kumar Gupta said and what questions he raised...

Pawan Kumar Gupta, who was posted at the 140 MLD pumping station in Chaukaghat, has now been attached to Kanpur. An inquiry is under way against the Jal Nigam EE. Speaking over the phone from Kanpur about his suspension, he raised a major question and said,

Why is action being taken against a Jal Nigam engineer for the Municipal Corporation's negligence?

The grounds for the suspension are not valid

EE Pawan Kumar Gupta said,

The grounds on which I was suspended are not valid. The reality is something else, but the issue has been diverted elsewhere. Sewers in the city are clogged, which is causing waterlogging. They do not have the resources to prevent waterlogging. Action was taken against us to conceal this fact, even though we operated the pumps.

Chaukaghat pumping station built near the Varuna river

Pawan Kumar Gupta said,

The pumping station at Chaukaghat is near the Varuna river. This time, the Varuna's water level reached 71 metres. The entire area was waterlogged. Several times, Varuna's water has also entered the pump house. In such a situation, when we run the pumps, will we be able to pump out Varuna's water? Why has the water level of the Varuna risen? In such a situation, no matter how much we pump, it will not make any difference. So how will the sewage water be pumped out?

They are accusing us to conceal their own shortcomings

The suspended executive engineer said,

All the sewers of the municipal corporation are choked and full. This is causing waterlogging in the city. To hide their own shortcomings, they have blamed us and said that the pump is not working. But when the Ganga's water level has risen, the pump cannot do anything. A large pumping station and a retaining wall should be built here. This is meant for sewage pumping, but they are making us pump floodwater.

Jal Nigam Nagariya Executive Engineer Pawan Kumar Gupta had informed everyone on 20 August by issuing a letter.

Find out what Ajay Kumar Sinha, the site in-charge of the Chowkaghat pumping station, said,

Sewage from several parts of the city goes to the STP from here

Ajay Kumar Sinha said,

This is a 140 MLD sewage pumping station (urban). It mainly handles sewage collected from several places. Sewage lines from Phulwaria, the Cantonment, Lahurabir and several other parts of the city have been connected here. We pump it from here, separate the garbage and pump it to the STP. Primary treatment is carried out here before the sewage is sent for treatment. The garbage is then separated, after which it goes directly to the STP.

Pumping stations are shut down during floods

Ajay further said,

This pumping station is related to river pollution. It was built to prevent the river from being polluted. The water from the city's drains and sewers used to flow into the rivers. It has to be intercepted and sent to the STP from here. This area lies along the Varuna, and when flooding occurs, the water level rises and the river merges with the drains. In such a situation, pumping is stopped so that no problem is caused in the river. We will not be able to treat that water because treating the river water and releasing it back into the river would serve no purpose.

Letter issued on 20 August itself

Ajay said that all pumping stations along the riverbanks are shut during floods. This station is operational. It is shut during floods, but when there is no flooding, it is not shut. This time, when the Ganga's water level rises above 68 metres, the line to this 140 MLD pump station is closed because of the reverse flow from the Varuna. Water from the Varuna then begins flowing into it. This year too, as in the past, our executive engineer received an order from the Dinapur STP stating that the river and drain had met on 20 August. It should therefore be shut and maintenance work carried out. It should be restarted once the water level falls.

Heard of this for the first time in six years

According to Ajay, this is the first time in six years that it has come to light that the closure of the SPS has caused waterlogging somewhere in the city. This is a new issue for us as well, so it is impossible to say anything at this stage. According to the documents and records available to us so far, whenever floodwater has arrived, not only this station but all pumping stations along the Ganga in the city have shut down.