By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Commissioning of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III is likely to be delayed since only 35 per cent of the work has been completed till date.
The phase III, which is expected to ease the water scarcity problem in Shillong, was earlier scheduled to be commissioned within June 2012.
“The project is likely to be delayed since the progress of the work has been relatively slow due to various factors,” a senior government official said on Thursday.
The official attributed the reason to the delay by the Union Ministry of Urban Development in releasing the second installment of the funds for the project.
The project was also delayed because the PHE department had to negotiate with some Dorbar Shnongs of the city who were opposed to the water distribution plans, he said.
“We would soon start the work for the distribution system since we have completed negotiations with the local Dorbar Shnongs.
“A three-month deadline has been set for completion of the work for improvement of the distribution system. We need more time since work on the distribution system can be done only during night time.
“We have received all the consignment of DI pipes which would be used in place of the existing GI pipes to improve the water distribution system within the localities of the Shillong conglomerate,” he said.
Commenting on the current status of the project, he said that construction of the reservoir at Sixth Mile, Upper Shillong was on, while construction of the clear water reservoir at the source at Mawphlang has been completed.
“Work for the laying the 1000-mm diameter pipe is still in progress. We are going to start the work for the construction of the treatment plant at Mawphlang very soon. Construction of the intake pipes from the source to the treatment plant would also commence very soon,” he said.
The official also said that the department is planning to introduce the automatic meter reading (AMR) system for water billing once the Phase III is made operational.
“As per the guidelines of the JNNURM under which funds for the Phase III is being released the AMR system is mandatory. The department will have to adhere to this guideline,” he said.
The official said that so far the department has received an amount of Rs 77.39 crore.
Once commissioned, Phase III of the GSWSS, costing Rs 193 crore, would aim at augmenting water supply to urban areas of Shillong and adjoining areas by providing drinking water connection to around 44,000 households.
Urban Affairs, PHE
meet today
The Urban area MLAs would be attending a joint meeting of the Urban Affairs and PHE departments on Friday to discuss on constitution of a single body to look after the water distribution system in the city.
Official sources on Thursday revealed the single body is necessary as per JNNURM guidelines, which is funding the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III project.
During the meeting, the PHE department would give a presentation on the status of Phase III of the project.