Burla Drinking Water Project to be Tap Fact.

The much awaited drinking water project, proposed exclusively for Burla NAC, is all set to see light of the day.

Sources said the tender for construction work of the water treatment plant, a part of the six million litre per day (MLD) drinking water project, has been approved by the project committee after finalising the lowest bidder and sent for approval of the financial committee.

The project is hanging fire due to apathetic attitude of Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) though coal major Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) released its first tranche to start the work.

Sources said though there is no dearth of fund and land, the drinking water project, which was announced way back in 2006, is awaiting execution. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the project during his visit to Sambalpur on January 29.

The estimated cost of the project including the water treatment plant is Rs. 8.62 crore. MCL, which was approached to fund the project, accepted the proposal under its CSR activity and released Rs. 3.5 crore in the first phase.

A patch of land measuring 7.62 acre near Sambalpur University has also been identified for the project and approved by the State Government.

At present, 4.5 MLD of drinking water is being supplied to Burla NAC though the requirement is more. With the town, which has VSS Medical College and Hospital, Sambalpur University and VSS University of Technology, growing at a fast pace, there is a wide gap between the demand and supply of drinking water.

Sources said with the project yet to take off, there are many pockets, including Sambalpur University area, Bishnu Mandir area, Chainipara, Mirdhapara and other areas under the NAC, which are reeling under acute water scarcity.

Executive Engineer of PHED, Sambalpur Hadibandhu Behera said the tender for construction of the treatment plant has been approved and work on the project will begin soon.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS