MJP urge to okay supplementary water proposal of Rs 193 crore

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, July 26:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administrator A K Pandey today met the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) member secretary Abhishek Krishna (in Mumbai) and requested him to grant technical sanction to the supplementary water proposal of Rs 193 crore submitted to the state government for strengthening the decades-old 700-mm width pipeline and increase lifting of water capacity through it.

The then municipal council laid the 700 mm pipeline in 1972-73 to lift water from Jayakwadi Dam as the existing water source (Harsul Tank) was proving short to quench the thirst of the then city’s population. The AMC lifts 56 MLD of water through it. The pathetic condition of the pipeline and several leakages causing wastage of water prompted the state government to strengthen the pipeline. The divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar was assigned the responsibility. The AMC hired a project management consultant (PMC) and prepared the proposal of Rs 193 crore and submitted it to the state government for approval.

The proposal included replacing of old 700 mm pipeline (a length of more than 2 km), the old pump and installing new pumps with high voltage capacity, a new water treatment plant, etc. However, the MJP, on behalf of the state government, raised a couple of queries. It pin-pointed that the proposal does not mention the reservation of water storage in Jayakwadi Dam (source) and what will be the future of this supplementary proposal of Rs 193 crore, after the completion of a new water supply scheme valuing Rs 1680 crore (which has now been increased up to Rs 2700 crore). Hence the AMC was directed to resubmit it. Taking a cue, the administrator met the MJP authority and requested immediate technical sanction to it.

MJP’s Krishna then spoke to the chief engineer R S Lolapod and ordered to give technical sanction after going through the re-submitted proposal; speed up the new water supply scheme project works; construct 10 elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs) in the city immediately, etc.