Delay in water supply scheme irks administration, citizens

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Sept 5:

The new water supply scheme was launched to quench the thirst of the citizens, but the works are going on at a snail’s pace. Adding to the woes, the distance between Jayakwadi and Nakshatrawadi is 40 km, out of which, a 3 km long pipe has arrived and its laying up to 1 km has been completed.

The slow speed of work is pushing us to think that for how many more years we will have to wait to get the project completed. The then Maha Vikas Aghadi had expressed displeasure over the delay and had appointed a steering committee under the presidentship of the divisional commissioner. The committee reviews the progress of water works every week. In the meantime, the High Court has also expressed its displeasure over the delay. Then also the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) and the contractor GVPR (Hyderabad-based) failed to give momentum to the project as was expected.

Unsatisfactory reasons by the company

The company has to lay the main pipeline of 2500 mm size from Jayakwadi to Nakshatrawadi. It also has to construct a jack well, treatment plant etc. Two years got spent on the issue of manufacturing pipes. Now, it started transporting readymade pipes of length 6.5 km from Bhuj and Bhopal. A 4-km long trench has been dug to lay these pipes, out of which, pipes of length 1 km have been completed. There is an obstruction in laying pipes due to rainfall. Hence the work is resumed in breaks after the halting of rainfall. Meanwhile, the company had also mentioned that it is unable to undertake welding works at the spots where the soil is deeply wet due to rainfall.

MJP executive engineer Ajay Singh said,” We have received ready-made pipes of length 2800 metres. The task of laying pipes of length 100-200 metres is done daily. All the government offices concerned are functioning to complete the water works as early as possible without any hindrances.”