Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, June 10:
The works under the new water supply scheme valuing Rs 1680 crore have been started in a low-key affair by the contractor - GVPR Company - under the supervision of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) as the nodal agency, recently. It is feared that the project would take two and a half years to three years to complete the project including obtaining necessary permissions from the Centre to start laying of main pipelines and do headworks at the Jayakwadi Dam.
Meanwhile, the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray during the review (on June 8) gave a nod to the divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar to work on an alternate proposal of replacing some five decades-old 700 mm size pipeline with a new one and increase the lifting and supplying capacity of water to the citizens. The rough estimate of the proposal could be between Rs 170 crore and Rs 200 crore, it is believed.
The AMC lifts and supplies 100 MLD and 56 MLD water to the city through 1400 mm and 700 mm. The chief minister took a brief halt at the five-star hotel on Jalna Road on Wednesday evening. Before leaving for the meeting, he reviewed the water supply situation with the divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar and the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administrator Astik Kumar Pandey. The AMC and MJP engineers were also present.
Earlier, the state government had given the responsibility of streamlining the water supply in Aurangabad and other districts during the last month. Therefore, Kendrekar during interaction with CM apprised him about the booster scheme till the completion of the mega water project. Thackeray patiently lend his ears and then gave a nod to go ahead and get prepare the detailed project report (DPR) including its estimate. Irrespective of the required funds, the CM without any hesitation accepted the alternate proposal. Kendrakar proposed the replacement of a 700 mm pipeline (laid in the year 1975 to quench the thirst of the then-tiny town - Aurangabad) with an 800 mm or more size pipeline. Besides, the life expectancy of the pipeline has also been completed many years ago. Officially, 56 MLD water is supplied through it, but due to its dilapidated condition, umpteen number of leakages had emerged in it and thus gallons of water is getting wasted through them. Hence the replacement of a new pipeline will help transport the actual quantity of water. It was also ascertained that a sum of Rs 170 crore to 200 crores could be spent on this temporary task.
It may be noted that the CM, one week ago, had conducted a meeting in Mumbai and directed the MJP officials to take stern action if the contractor of the new water supply scheme fails to meet the deadline and work as per the milestones. He wished that the citizens of Aurangabad should get an adequate quantity of water for an adequate period in their taps and on regular basis within the minimum gap in the supply.
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Accordingly, to highly placed sources, the divisional commissioner has directed the MJP to prepare the estimate and the DPR. It is hoped that the paperwork would be ready in a few weeks, barring the permission process.
The efforts are underway to lay a new pipeline of 800 mm to 1,000 mm in width. The work would be completed six months after its starting. With the laying of a new pipeline, the AMC may get an additional 10-20 MLD quantity of water, other than its regular 56 MLD capacity, and it will be enough to quench the thirst of the citizens, stressed the sources.