‘Slums should have basic facilities’

“Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),one room tenements have been provided at cheap rates to slum dwellers and houses to the economically weaker sections. And these areas have gardens,schools,etc,” she said. “In Chandigarh,though water has been provided to Colony Number 4 and 5,there is no waste disposal system yet.”

The Mayor said she was impressed by the various projects in Surat,Baroda and Ahmedabad,including sewerage treatment plant,bio-medical waste plant and waste management plant.

The corporations in these cities,she said,were making profit from these plants.

For Chandigarh,Kamlesh said she would moot the proposal for stone benches and fountains in parks,as there have been instances of iron benches being stolen.

She said the Municipal Corporation would also take up the project of numbering houses in villages on the pattern of Gujarat.

Mayor unhappy with functioning of Diggian treatment plant
Reviewing the Diggian Sewerage Treatment Plant on Thursday,Mayor Kamlesh expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning of the plant and directed the officials to ensure proper treatment,chlorination and monitoring of water quality at different levels of treatment. Having seen a similar plant functioning in Surat during her recent Gujarat trip,the Mayor decided to inspect the plant in the city. According to the Mayor,the plant has all the required machinery,but is not being utilised properly . She also suggested that the gas produced from the plant can be used for generating electricity. During the inspection,the Mayor reviewed the up-gradation process of the existing STP from 15 MGD to 30 MGD that will cost nearly Rs 28.98 crore to the Administration. The construction of main constituents,including stilling chamber,mechanical,manual screens and belt conveyer has already been completed,while the work of testing and commissioning is in progress. The Mayor was accompanied by Chief Engineer S K Bansal,SE (Public Health) R K Goyal and other officials. The construction of 10 MGD tertiary treatment plant at STP,Diggian,is being executed under JNNURM. The tertiary treatment plant will facilitate usage of treated effluent for irrigating lawns of the city. The plant will treat water to reduce BOD from 30 mg/litre to 5 mg/litre.