He raised the query if health department of NMC had given permission to Vinod, Praful and Atul Gudadhe, trustees of the Central County School, to dig up the road to lay sewage pipelines in the area, Information officer of the health department denied giving any such permission. The health department also denied having any knowledge about minimum distance between a water supply and a sewage pipeline.
Residents of Rajendra Nagar have been spending sleepless nights ever since a contractor appointed by the Gudadhes for carrying out work for the school building began laying a sewage pipeline within 2.5 feet of an existing drinking water pipeline laid by the NMC in this ward. As per NMC rules, the distance between a water and drainage pipeline should be at least five feet. Residents fear sewage pipeline could lead to contamination of drinking water in future.
Another RTI query addressed to the zonal officer in Lakshmi Nagar zone has elicited a similar reply. The information officer at the zone office too has denied giving any permission to school authorities to dig up the road facing Ghaiwat`s house and lay pipelines. Instead, the zone office threw the ball again in the health department`s court saying the officials must look in to the matter to prevent contamination.
The reply said, "The health department has been informed to shift the sewage pipeline elsewhere or take appropriate action." The sewage pipe from the toilets of the school runs outside the school premises along the boundary wall. Ghaiwat has also questioned how a plot of land reserved for a garden could be used for a school.
If NMC hasn`t given the school any such permission, the question is who authorised the school to dig up the road for the pipeline.
When TOI confronted Atul Gudadhe a few weeks back, he had rubbished the idea saying the existing pipeline did not carry potable water but only raw water meant for flushing.
"The drainage pipe that is being laid is a common utility, which can be used by others as well. At present, there is only one bungalow across the street but if more come up in future, the newly laid pipe would serve them as well," he had said.
This time, Praful Gudadhe, who is also a corporator, simply said permission was not needed. "My plot is huge and the pipeline is long, hence it is visible to all. Nobody needs permission to connect the sewage pipe to chamber. Every plot owner does so. We have already paid charges for this before getting the sanction of drawing plans. As far as distance between two pipes is concerned, what Ghaiwat is saying is untrue. Let him show it to me," he said.
N Padegaonkar, junior engineer with water supply department who studied the area, had said that the distance between the existing water supply and the new sewage pipeline was only 2.5 feet and just 1.5 feet near the chamber.
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