In a rap to the Public Works Department (PWD), the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found, among other observations, that 13 new water supply works in Puducherry and one work in Karaikal at a cost of ₹212.65 crore taken up during the period 2016-17 to 2020-21 were either not completed or completed with avoidable delays.
In its compliance audit on ‘Urban Water Supply in the Union Territory of Puducherry’ for the year ended March 2021, which was among the important findings shared with the media by K.P. Anand, Principal Accountant General, the CAG noted that out of 13 ground-level reservoirs, the PWD had carried out desilting work only in one ground-level reservoir during 2016-21.
Pulling up the department for its failure to prepare long-term and strategic plans to address the water supply needs of the public, the CAG noted that an amount of ₹75.29 crore released for water supply schemes under Smart City Mission was parked in bank account for three years depriving the facilities identified.
Due to the lack of planning, the available sources of water like waterbodies/ lakes were not considered for augmentation of supply of water. The management of water supply suffered from non-execution of desilting of reservoirs and non-installation of energy-efficient water pumps resulting in foregoing of energy cost saving of ₹7.66 crore per annum.
The audit also observed that the quality of water being supplied to the public was poor due to non-chlorination, direct supply of water to households from borewells, non-cleaning of overhead tanks and existence of high levels of TDS/chloride, etc.
There was lack of enforcement mechanism by PWD and planning authorities in recharging the ground water through Rain Water Harvesting system. There were also instances of wastage of water without secondary use due to non-installation of sewage treatment plant and the wastage of 15.7 mld of treated water resulted in loss of ₹8.02 crore, the CAG report stated.
There were arrears of ₹49.44 crore of water charges to be collected from the public, according to the compliance audit report.
