City to get water through 7 more ESRs from May 1

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

If all goes well, the water distribution system may become effective and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation may start the supply of water through seven newly built elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs) from May 1 as the contractor of the new water supply scheme (GVPR Co.) has submitted an assurance in the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court stating in this regard. The next hearing on the case will be held on April 16.

The contractor stated in the court that he had already handed over the possession of two ESRs (built at Hanuman Tekdi and T V Centre) to the CSMC and will be handing over the possession of ESR at Himayat Baugh by April 15 and four more ESRs built at Pratapnagar, Delhi Gate, Shakyanagar and Shivaji Maidan by April 30.

The new water supply scheme valuing Rs 2740 crore is an ambitious water project launched in the city after 1972. The new scheme is nearing completion. Hence the High Court bench comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Justices R M Joshi, on Tuesday, sought cooperation from all in completing the project.

During the hearing, the contractor raised the issue of the availability of sand to him. In reaction to it, the government pleader Amarjeet Sinh Girase brought to the notice of the court that the contractor was sanctioned permission to extract sand for a limited period. The validity period has been ended. The contractor was given several extensions and was also reminded to extract the sand, but the contractor paid no heed to it. He is making a fresh request for sand mining now. Girase also said that another contractor has a stock of 5,000 brass sand in Nakshatrawadi and 2,000 brass of sand is available in other depots from the district. The contractor can get the sand from the government depots on payment of the royalty. However, if fresh stock is demanded then the contractor will have to send the proposal to the government through MJP for permission. Later on, the union Ministry of Environment will release a notification in this regard. After that, the state government will form two committees. Then these committees would grant permission to the contractor to extract sand by reviewing the contractor’s proposal. The sand could not be extracted without the environmental clearance, said Girase.

Hence the High Court issued an order directing the union Ministry of Environment to release a notification allowing to constitute two committees in the next 15 days. Later on, the state government should appoint the committees and submit the proposal for sand mining before the committee for approval.