No excuses will be tolerated; City must get water: CM

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Reprimanding the officials concerned, the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified, "The city must get water under any circumstances. I will not accept any excuses. I am not interested in hearing what percentage of the project is complete, only 100 percent completion will bring satisfaction." He directed that the first phase of the project must be completed by the end of October, ensuring ample water supply to the citizens.

The CM reviewed the new water supply scheme at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil, Guardian Minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Sanjay Shirsat, OBC Welfare Minister Atul Save, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department (UDD) Asim Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Water Supply Department Sanjay Khandare, and Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Ashwini Bhide, Divisional Commissioner Dilip Gawade, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) administrator G Sreekanth, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) officers, contractor and other key officers of associate departments.

During the hour-long meeting, officials initially began by presenting a detailed report on the progress of the water supply scheme project and outlining the various technical challenges faced.

Key directives from CM

Direct Involvement by Administrator: Municipal administrator must personally intervene to resolve issues arising during project execution. Contractors should plan and deploy the required machinery and manpower to ensure timely completion.

Jackwell Completion by October: The Jackwell construction at Jayakwadi Dam must be completed by October and water lifting operations should begin. Existing gaps in the main water pipeline must be filled without delay.

26 MLD Water Treatment Plant: The 26 MLD water treatment plant connected to the 900 mm diametre pipeline must be completed by the end of June to provide additional water supply to the city. For this, the municipal corporation should schedule a shutdown after June 15.

Reservoir Completion: Contractor must complete at least 35 Elevated Storage Reservoirs (ESRs) and Ground Storage Reservoirs (GSRs) by August–September.

Rs 822 Crore Loan Support: A loan of Rs 822 crore will be promptly provided to the CSMC through Hudco. If there is a difference in interest rates, it will be covered by the state government.

Contractor may be blacklisted…

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde warned saying, “If the contractor fails to complete the work on time, the company will be blacklisted. The Police, Municipal Corporation, and Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) must work in coordination to ensure the timely completion of the project.”

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First phase of water supply soon

The Chief Minister issued clear directives on Wednesday to ensure that the city receives water from the first phase of the project as early as possible. He procured the action plan from the officials and secured firm commitments for the completion of the work. The city will soon get major relief, said Atul Save, OBC Welfare Minister.

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Demand for fund allocation

During the meeting, a demand was made to urgently release the Rs 822 crore share allocated to the Municipal Corporation. The Chief Minister suggested arranging a low-interest loan through Hudco to support this. He also issued a stern warning to the contractors and agencies regarding delays in project execution and emphasized the need for strong coordination between MJP and the CSMC. There will be no delay in the project due to financial issues,” said the Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat.