Water supply project for Berhampur under cloud

BERHAMPUR: The proposed Rs 250-crore water supply project for Berhampur in south Orissa, being implemented with assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been pushed into uncertainty following the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan. “Japan economy has been hit hard by tsunami and earthquake. If JICA is unwilling to provide loan, the state government may approach some other international financial institute to seek loan for the project”, said a senior government official. The proposed project aimed to supply water from Rushikulya river to Berhampur city, a distance of 55 Km through underground pipeline. The process for preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) for the project is on, said the executive engineer, (urban water supply) D S Mohapatra. It would take about three years to complete the project, he added. For a city with a population of over four lakh and water demand of around 50 million litres per day (MLD), the urban water supply department is supplying only 37 MLD daily from all sources. During the peak summer, the water crisis further worsens. Around 30 per cent of the town is yet to be covered under the drinking water supply scheme. In these uncovered areas, the water tankers are the only relief for the residents. Mohapatra, however, said the government has approved Rs 33-crore scheme to lay new pipelines in these uncovered areas.

Source: Business Standard