Panchkula: HSVP fined for failing to repair sewer line

For failing to repair the sewer lines in Sector 4, Panchkula, the district consumer disputes redressal commission held Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) deficient in services and directed it to pay ₹85,900 to an 86-year-old widow residing in the sector.

Disposing of a complaint by Tara Devi Jain, the district consumer commission said, “Undisputedly, the complainant is a consumer of HSVP and is paying the sewerage and water supply charges to them. Thus, it was binding upon the HSVP to resolve the issue being faced by her qua the blockage of the sewer line, which was duly conveyed by her to them.”

The commission directed HSVP to pay ₹70,400 (amount spent on repair) along with 9% interest, besides ₹10,000 on account of mental agony and harassment and ₹5,500 as litigation charges.

“We have no hesitation to conclude that the complainant was compelled to carry out the repair work of the sewer line, which was broken, outside the boundary wall of her house and thus, the HSVP was deficient, while rendering services to the complainant,” ruled the district consumer commission.

Blocked sewer line led to cave-in: Complainant

Jain, in her complaint, said she had been paying the sewerage and water bills to HSVP for the last 16 years. She said foul and pungent smell/fumes were noticed in the toilets of her house and outdoor sewerage manholes since March 2022. After a short spell of rain in July that year, her house was left flooded. When the rain stopped, it was found that the sewer lines running throughout her house were blocked.

She sent a letter to junior engineer, complaint office, HSVP, on July 8, 2022, requesting them to resolve the problem but no person or official visited the house.

Further, as sewage water had flooded her house, Jain was left with no option but to hire private sanitary staff to get the house cleaned. After four days, on July 12, 2022, due to the aforesaid problem, the drive-way of the house caved in, which was conveyed to HSVP vide a separate letter.

As no one from HSVP attended the problem, she had to hire swa private contractor to get sewer line repaired. She ended up paying ₹70,400 for the repair of the blocked line.

Responsible for main service line only: HSVP

Seeking dismissal of the complaint, HSVP and junior engineer, complaint office, submitted that the issue raised by the complainant was pertaining to her own pipeline, connected from the main service line, which has no concern with the service line of the HSVP. They said that HSVP was responsible for the main service line only, which admittedly was not involved in the case as blockage was in consumer’s own pipeline.

Denial to reimburse the expenses was neither valid nor justified: Commission

Dismissing the argument, the district consumer commission said, “It is not in dispute that the repair was carried out on the complainant’s expenses, so the denial by HSVP to reimburse the expenses was neither valid nor justified.”

The commission observed that the arrangements qua providing of various civic facilities such as drinking water, sewer connection etc. are made by the HSVP by way of laying separate pipeline for each service in the green belt portion outside the boundary wall of the consumers/house owners. In fact, all the pipelines pertaining to drinking water, sewerage, rain water and optical fiber wires/cables etc passes beneath the area of green belt, abutting the boundary wall of the houses of the consumers and the consumers have no access or power of any kind in any manner to interfere with any of the above said public utility services related lines passing through the green belt.