Delay in handing over 10 ESRs pushes citizens to suffer in summer

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) has announced completing the construction of 10 elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs), to quench the thirst of the citizens, by March 2023. An affidavit was also submitted in the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court stating that the ESRs will be completed by the end of this month. Presently, the month is on verge of ending, but not a single ESR is in ready condition. Hence it is assumed that the 10 ESRs may be completed by June or July.

As reported earlier, considering last year’s bitter experience of acute water shortage during the summer season and the inconvenience suffered by the citizens, various measures were initiated by the administration concerned to make available an adequate quantity of water to meet the citizens' demand of water during summer. It was hoped that the scheme would help the citizens to some extent. However, reviewing the situation, there is the least possibility that the MJP will get the work done from the contractor and hand over the possession of 10 ESRs to the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC). The completion of important ESRs at Himayat Baugh, Delhi Gate is also incomplete.

Under the new water supply scheme, 49 new ESRs and four master balancing reservoirs (MBRs) will be constructed. It was the municipal corporation’s demand to hand over 10 ESRs by the end of March. The project contractor GVPR Co. also agreed upon it. However, in reality, the construction of ESRs is going at a snail’s pace.

The CSMC commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari said,“ The speed of ongoing construction of ESRs is low. It is obvious that the ESRs will not be helpful to us during this summer season. We are told that the construction of ESR at Hanuman Tekdi is in the last leg of completion and would take another month to get completed. We hope that the other ESRs will be readied by June.”

Road map will make the picture clear

“ The High Court has instructed the contractor to prepare the road map of the waterworks which will be done in phases. It is after submission of the road map, we would be able to know when the scheme would actually get completed,” said the MJP executive engineer A A Koli.