Jajpur: In order to resolve prevailing drinking water crisis in rural areas of the district, Jajpur Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department had chalked out plans to set up seven mega projects to supply drinking water to the denizens from various rivers.
Work on these mega projects, however, is yet to take off, despite the fact that they were proposed three years back.
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River water from Brahmani, Baitarani, Genguti and Kharasrota all of which flow through this district was to be used in these projects. The river waters would have been fed into intake wells. Locations for wells were identified by RWSS June 12 this year.
Moreover, two other drinking water projects proposed at Badachana and Dasarathapur areas have been shifted from under Basudha Yojana to the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). These two projects would have catered to drinking water needs of 247 villages under Badachana and Dharmasala blocks.
Survey work has already been conducted for two intake wells with capacity of 70 million litres per day (MLD) each at Radhadeipur and Balikudia villages. Out of the sanctioned fund of Rs 335.72 crore for these two projects, only Rs 44.12 crore has been spent so far.
Similarly, location for another intake well was identified at Siddheswar ghat under Dasarathapur block on the Baitarani riverbed, which had plans to cater to drinking water needs of 35 nearby panchayats.
It was targeted that 31.5 MLD of water would be lifted from here. Sanctioned fund for this project was Rs 181.78 crore out of which only Rs 26.16 has been spent in the mega drinking water project so far.
Giving his views, RWSS executive engineer Amiya Kumar Parija said, “Four mega drinking water projects are underway and tendering process has started for the remaining three. Construction work of all the projects will be expedited. COVID-19 outbreak in the district delayed progress of work”.
PNN