Baripada: The idea of Jambhira drinking water project was mooted years ago. The main aim behind the project was to ensure proper drinking water to residents here.
However, the project has not made any headway so far. Even as Chief Minister visited Baripada Wednesday and laid foundation stone for projects worth crores, residents expressed resentment as many projects are still left hanging for years.
As per reports, it was the Chief Minister himself who had laid the foundation stone of the project seven years back. But, the project worth Rs 83.91 crore, aimed at meeting the water needs of more than two lakh people is yet to take off.
As per the project plan, water would be drawn from Jambhira river and distributed across the town. The land required for the project has already been demarcated and the report prepared. At least 2.15 acre land at Purnachandrapur was earmarked for the purpose and layout prepared for construction of pump house and water tanks.
The population of Baripada town, as per 2011 census, is 1,09,743 and the demand of water is around 18.22 MLD of which 14.8 MLD is supplied by PHED. Though PHED has been supplying drinking water to 28 Wards through pipe lines, several locations like Purnachandrapur, Debendrapur, Prafullanagar, Station Bazaar, Narpada and Sungadia have been deprived of the facility. Irregular water supply to these wards has led to resentment among the residents.
PHED chief executive engineer Bigneswar Pani said a private agency, Megha Infrastructure Engineering Limited, has started construction work for Jambhira drinking water project.
He said presently, 16.77 MLD drinking water is being supplied daily across the town against the requirement of 18.86 MLD. “We hope that around 0.6 MLD (6 lakh litre) drinking water will be supplied across the town by March this year,” he said. Pani said the project is in final stage of construction.
PNN