Berhampur: The Janibili mega drinking water project, billed as the biggest integrated water supply project in state and being built at a cost of `500 crore here in Ganjam district, has remained a nonstarter and yet to become operational even long years after its inception, a report said Thursday.
The state government launched this project to resolve the severe water scarcity plaguing the residents in Silk City for long. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for this project, November 30, 2016.
As per the plan, the project was to be completed by November 30, 2018 following which water would have been drawn in pipes from Janibili anicut in Dharakote block and supplied to the residents in Silk City after filtering at a water treatment plant at Jagdalpur in Kukudakhandi block.
Addressing a mega rally at Ankushpur, the Chief Minister after laying the foundation stone had announced that the project will help residents in the city get round the clock clean tap water supply. Moreover, this facility will also be available to the inhabitants of 53 villages in 16 panchayats in between Janibili and Berhampur.
Works took off on the project with funds sanctioned by the state Urban Development department and a prominent consultancy agency was given the charge of its construction. The agency brought large number of pipes and dumped it around the city.
However, it failed to complete even one-fourth of the project work by the target period of November 30, 2018. The implementing authorities got the incomplete project hurriedly inaugurated by the Chief Minister in March 2019 just ahead of the general elections.
It has been four and half years since its launching and another general election is round the corner. However, pipe laying works are still continuing in Berhampur and the residents are yet to get round the clock drinking water not to speak of the 53 villages on the outskirts.
The fate of the project has been pushed into uncertainty and no one knows when it will get completed. The consultancy agency has been alleged of whimsically implementing the project without caring for any government authorities or public representatives allegedly due to its strong contacts in the power corridors.
The agency has dug up several roads for pipe laying works making it difficult for people to negotiate the roads. It has also dug up a new road laid by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC). As a result, commuting in the city has become a risky proposition for bikers, motorists and pedestrians alike, especially during power cuts during the night and rains.
Accidents on these roads have become a usual occurrence. The agency is also not clearing the excavated soil and rubble from these roads which flows down the drains blocking the flow of rain water. The state government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik completed the fourth year of its fifth tenure, May 29.
The same day the Cabinet announced a plan outlay of 1,509.91 crore for implementation of a rural water supply project in Ganjam district. It was announced that over 9 lakh people residing in 720 villages in 228 panchayats of 12 blocks will regularly get safe drinking water in their households under this project.
However, what is surprising is that the agency which has failed to complete the Janibili project in time has again been awarded a contract for this new water supply project. A memorandum of understanding was recently signed between the state government and the agency in this regard.
Moreover, the state government is yet to take any legal action against the agency which is responsible for the inordinate delay in completion of Janibili project. Chatters have been abuzz as to why the agency is being shown undue favour in awarding further contracts despite failure in implementing the Janibili mega drinking water supply project.
PNN
