Kolkata: The 100 Million Gallon Daily (MGD) water supply project for Rajarhat New Town, worth Rs 450 crore, is likely to be launched before Durga Puja this year.
"We are trying to complete the project before July 31 and if not possible, it will be definitely done before the Durga Puja this year," HIDCO chairman-cum-managing director Debashis Sen told a news agency.
Sen said work of the project was progressing fast and the problem of bringing water from the Hooghly River to Rajarhat New Town would be solved soon to provide drinking water to the residents.
"The project will cost Rs 450 crore and will be pulled mainly from the HIDCO resources," Sen said.
Besides helping Rajarhat New Town, Salt Lake City, Nabadiganta Industrial Township area in Sector V and South Dum Dum Municipality would also be benefited from this project, Sen said.
While New Town would get the most, Salt Lake would receive 20 percent of the treated water.
"Out of the 10.5 km pipeline laying, work is over for 9.8 km and the rest will be completed soon," he said.
The pipeline was being laid from the Debendrabala Ghat near Chitpur area to bring in water directly from the Hooghly to Rajarhat New Town. According to initial plans, untreated water from the Hooghly, which collects at Debendrabala Ghat, was supposed to be channelised to Keshtopur Canal through the New Cut Canal via Gajnabi Bridge.
The water was to reach New Town through the Keshtopur Canal. But the plan was scrapped owing to technical problems.
The State Public Health Engineering (PHE) department was assigned to implement the project, Sen said adding a committee was formed to delve into the plan and HIDCO sanctioned the project cost, pegged at Rs 450 crore.
The PHE department had asked its agency Simplex Infrastructure to carry out the project of laying the entire six feet diameter pipeline from the Hooghly to Rajarhat.
Sen said a 20-million-gallon water treatment plant was ready at New Town to meet the present requirement. But, a 100 MGD water treatment plant would be required once the entire township comes up.
Out of 100 MGD capacity, 20 million gallons would now come from the Hooghly and purified at the treatment plant at New Town for supply of drinking water in the planned city.
Sen said the capacity of the water treatment plant would be upgraded to 100 MGD in phases as per requirement.
Supply of purified drinking water for Rajarhat New Town residents had been a long-standing problem for the authorities and residents have been complaining that the water they consume now has very high iron content.
