PONDA: The contractor, who repaired the 750mm and 950mm diametre water pipelines at Curti Khandepar, has billed the PWD Rs 1.21 crore for his work.
The two pipelines were damaged due to a major landslide in mid-August, disrupting water supply to entire Tiswadi taluka and parts of Ponda taluka for at least eight days.
Since the repairing of the damaged pipelines involved welders with special skills, who were not available in Goa, the contractor had to hire such welders from Bangalore.
Meanwhile, PWD Minister Deepak Pauksar has said that the bill has been forwarded to the Finance Department and the chief minister would take the final decision on the same.
Meanwhile, Curti locals have blamed the contractor who carried out road widening at the stretch where the pipelines were damaged.
According to a local Sandeep Parkar, the government had asked the road contractor to shift the pipelines in 2016, before commencing the road widening work. “But he did not do that. It is a norm that before widening roads, the contractor should shift the existing water pipelines, electricity poles and other utility lines. However, this was not done in the present case,” he said.
“Therefore, the contractor should be held responsible for the damage of pipelines and the cost (Rs 1.21 crore) of repairing the same should be borne by this contractors,” Parkar reasoned out.
