Urban Development Minister CP Singh kicked off work on the first phase of the sewerage-drainage project to get the State capital rid of putrid drains by laying a pipeline at Bajra on Tuesday.
The first phase of the project will cover an area of 27.71 square kilometres in nine wards under Ranchi Municipal Corporation – wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 32, 33, 34 and 35 – connecting sewer lines from houses to branch lines which will then meet a central line. Sewer pipelines measuring 307 km and drainage up to 207 km will be laid down in Zone 1 of the project.
The project will also feature a sewerage treatment plant in Kishunganj with capacity of processing 37 million litres every day. A sewerage pumping station will also be constructed at Kathalgonda under the project with pumping capacity of 10.20 million litres.
Taking stock of the progress in setting up a sewerage-drainage network from the representatives of Jyoti Buildtech Pvt ltd, the agency executing the project, the Urban Development Minister instructed them to complete the work well within the stipulated timeframe. The agency had promised to finish work on the sewerage-drainage project two years from its beginning, i.e. on September 17, 2017.
“Work has begun after drafting the Detailed Project Report and surveying the area the project would cover, which already took up 6 months of the time before the deadline expires. Now those behind it should make sure that work is completed in the remaining one and a half year,” stated Singh after inaugurating the pipeline laying process alongwith Hatia MlA Naveen Jaiswal, Mayor Asha lakra, Deputy Mayor Sanjiv Vijayvargiya and Municipal Commissioner Prashant Kumar.
“The pipes to be used in the first phase have been made of durable PVC, whereas the ones to be used in next phases will be made from concrete using pre-cast technique,” a Jyoti Buildtech personnel pointed out. Pre-cast concrete chambers will be placed along the stretch of the pipeline separated by a distance of 20 to 30 metres.
“RMC has had to face criticism for not being able to provide a efficient system for sewerage and drainage in the city. But since the ideation of the project, lots of work has been done at considerable pace in this direction. Focus is now on completing the work done within the deadline. If work goes on with the same speed, this goal will be achieved on time,” the Mayor said.
Speaking on the prevalent issue of water crisis in Ranchi, the Urban Development Minister added, “Water supply has become a troublesome matter for us. Still clean drinking water is being provided to areas worst hit by the problem of water scarcity. We will now try to ensure water supply from water main lines.”