Rs 1276 cr project for lifting water from Chenab on anvil
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 17: To augment the water supply in the Jammu city, a Rs 1276 crore ambitious water supply Project to lift the water from river Chenab is on anvil.
According to official sources, the Government is working on this ambitious project to fill up the gap between demand and supply.
Sources said, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) through UT Government has submitted Rs 1276 crore ambitious project to the Central Government for approval. The Project which likely to be funded by a foreign agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is under the active consideration of Union Government, sources added.
Under this new scheme, the water will be lifted from Chenab river and supplied to the city areas to overcome water scarcity especially in Summer months when the demand increases constantly, sources said.
Under this project, lifting of water will be made at Gurah Pattan and supply will be made from there.
Sources said, in addition to lifting of water from Chenab river, to overcome immediate need, the JMC has prepared another water augmentation scheme under which expansion of new pipe line network in uncovered areas and improvement of existing distribution net will be done. Besides, augmentation of water supply in water deficient areas will be made by providing new deep drilled 21 tube wells at different sites along with all electro mechanical works and buildings including Satwari cantonment area.
The augmentation of water supply in water deficient areas will also be done by providing five new deep drilled tube wells 300 mm straight and 300 mm depth at Bandhu Rakh where a Central Pumping Station (CPS) will also be constructed. In addition to this, MS Rising Mains will be laid for Greater Kailash, Sainik Colony and Channi areas, including installation of electro –mechanical components at all requisite locations and spots.
Under this project Municipal Wards 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, cantonment area, Ward numbers 55, 68, 69 and 70 will be covered, sources said, adding the total cost on this project will be Rs 182 crore.
Sources said the Jammu city needs about 125 million gallons of water at present but it is getting only 115 million gallons from all sources, thereby facing a shortage of 10 million gallons. To overcome the shortage, the Jammu Municipal Corporation which has taken the control of water as well as electricity supply of the city has proposed construction of 26 new tube wells at an estimated cost of Rs 139.5 crore under AMRUT scheme for ensuring water supply to the people.
Sources said there are 134 tube wells in the areas under JMC which are now in working condition. Besides, there are three intake stations one at Sitli which supplies 16 Mgd of water and Dhountly and Boria each supplying 1.8 mgd water.
Sources said JMC has also decided to act tough against the unauthorized connections in the city and has set a deadline of 15 days for households to regularize such connections.
Strict instructions were passed by the Mayor, Rajinder Sharma to all concerned officers in this regard during a recent meeting to plug leakages in water supply pipes to avoid water losses and suggested imposing fine for overflowing of water from water tanks—domestic and commercial.
“Soon disconnection of unauthorized water connections will be done if the same were not regularized and this will be started from the posh Wards 20 and 21 in Gandhi Nagar,” Sharma told Excelsior while confirming that an ambitious water supply scheme has been given go ahead to overcome the shortage.
He said the decision has been taken to ensure proper water supply in the city during upcoming summer season.
The Mayor said he has strictly asked the officers to do all they can to avoid water crisis in Summer days.
The Mayor said 26 new proposed tube wells will be constructed in Jammu city at an expenditure of Rs. 139.5 cr project under AMRUT for ensuring proper water supply to the public.
The Mayor said instructions have also been given by him to officers that there should be provision of standby motors at pumping stations of Jal Shakti Department so that public should not suffer in hot Summer days when the supplying motor gets burnt.
He also voiced for making more Over Head Tanks (OHTs) to which the water should be filled from the supplying stations at tube wells and it should not be supplied directly to the public but via OHTs as the same will reduce pressure on supplying motors which will increase their longevity.
Mayor Sharma also said that work on project to use water of river Chenab is under active consideration of the Government.
Sharma said instructions have also been given to concerned officers to ensure water supply to people even during power cuts.
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