In a bid to provide pipe water connection to the areas in the city which are deprived of drinking water supply, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) will lay 19 kms of new pipelines. Besides, a water treatment plant with capacity of four-million litre per day (MLD) will be constructed on PHED ground at Ainthapali from where drinking water would be supplied to the uncovered areas.
The project also includes construction of three overhead tanks and four sumps. The total project cost has been estimated at Rs 38.81 crore for which fund has already been allocated. The commissioning of the project holds significance as it would supply water to the new residential areas coming up within the city.
Executive Engineer, PHED, Sambalpur, MR Nanda said the project will be implemented under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) of the Centre. Both the State and Central Governments have shared the fund for the project. The tender for the work will be floated shortly and six firms have qualified the technical bid to participate in the tender, he added.
At present, drinking water is being supplied to the city from two water treatment plants located at Baraipali and Mudipada. While the treatment plant at Baraipali has a capacity to treat 42 MLD, the Mudipada plant is of 11 MLD capacity. Although the water demand of the city is around 28 MLD, many areas do not have network of pipelines for distribution of water.
With the increase of population, many new residential areas have cropped up in Dhanupali, Bhatra, Sunapali, Mahabirpara, Ainthapali and other places of the city. But, these areas do not have provision of drinking water supply. However, once the project is commissioned, the new localities will get piped water supply.
Sources said in absence of supply network, residents of many areas have to struggle for arranging drinking water. While tankers have been deployed to supply drinking water to the new residential areas, people, who can afford, have opted for 20-liter mineral water barrels to be delivered at the doorsteps.
New Connections
- Public Health Engineering Department to lay 19 kms of new pipelines
- A water treatment plant with capacity of four-MLD will be constructed on PHED ground at Ainthapali
- Three overhead tanks and four underground sumps also to be constructed
