Post News Network
Cuttack, Dec 28: Residents of the city have expressed resentment over the delay in the establishment of a mega drinking water project, which was proposed by the state government in 2013, according to sources.
Groundwater has been quenching the thirst of citizens for decades, sources said. However, the urban development department in 2013 decided to supply drinking water in the city from surface sources in 2013.
Subsequently, a meeting of government officials and people’s representatives from the district decided to establish the drinking water project near Naraj. Accordingly, the urban development department approved the sourcing of drinking water from Mahanadi river at Naraj. Land for the intake well and treatment plant of the project was earmarked by the Cuttack Development Authority, sources said.
The state government sanctioned `78.65 crore in the first phase for the mega project in March this year and approved open bidding for its construction. However, construction work for the project is yet to be started because of the delay in the bidding process, sources added.
Meanwhile, the public health department (PHD) has prepared a detail project report (DPR) for the second phase of the drinking water project with an expenditure of `300 crore. “An additional 600 kilometres of pipelines for water supply pipe will be laid and old pipes will be replaced in the second phase. The city will be divided into 59 zones and each zone will have its own overhead tank, groundwater reservoir and pump house,” PHD executive engineer Arun Kumar Nayak said.
“Citizens are being supplied drinking water through six-decade-old pipes. The PHD department has failed to utilise the funds sanctioned for the first phase work of the project. Who will be responsible if there is a Sambalpur like situation in the city?” asked corporator Hrushikesh Pradhan.
Chief district medical officer Prafulla Kumar Behera said, “We have no report regarding jaundice incidents in the city.”
Collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra said, “We have convened a high-level meet of officials of health department, PHD, CMC to discuss the issue.”
