60% of JICA aided water supply project completed in five years
Only 60% work of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project, the physical work of which began in the first half of 2012 and was slated to be completed in 28 months, have been completed after six years.
“There are four major parts of construction for the entire project which are 1) building intake wells in the Brahmaputra River, 2) building of the water treatment plant, 2) reservoirs and 4) the outlet network. While 66% of the outlet network has already been completed and the primary reservoir has also been completed, 45% of the work on the treatment plant has been completed; the intake well’s work has started recently and is going on a war footing. To sum up almost 60% of the work is done,” said S Venkatesan, managing director of Guwahati Metropolitan Water and Sewage Board under the Guwahati Jal Board that is looking over the completion of the project.
Out of 1,200 kms of the entire pipeline network in south central Guwahati, 800 kms of pipe laying work has been completed so far.
The project has missed two commissioning dates in 2015 and December 2017 and now is targeted to be completed by 2019. Construction of pipelines and reservoirs began in early 2010 and work on the treatment plant was commenced in October 2012.
The project, that had a total budget of Rs 1636.28 crores – Rs 1363.28 crores being a loan from JICA and the rest Rs 273 crore coming from the state government – was touted to provide 191 million litres of potable water daily in south central Guwahati and 38 million litres daily (MLD) at North Guwahati through two separate water treatment plants.
Venkatesan said that 70% work on the intake wells on the river will be completed before monsoon next year.
“Workers are working 20 hours a day in the intake point construction. It needs to be completed before monsoon as after that, the water level will rise in the river and it won’t be possible to undertake construction works then. If it continues at the current pace, 70% of the work will be completed,” Venkatesan said.
In the Assam Legislative Assembly session of September, the Guwahati Development Department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, replying to a query, said that the project is likely to be completed by 2019 and the delay is caused due to soft padding of Dispur during the opposition Congress’s tenure.
Venkatesan said, if not by 2018, the project will be completed by the first half of 2019.
The project is being expedited jointly by Gammon India Ltd, M/S IVRCL Infrastructure and Project Ltd, Viswa BRCCPL (Jevi), JWIL Renhill (Jevi), Zindal Show Ltd, Electro Steel Casting Ltd, APDCL and NJS Consultant Company Ltd.