SHILLONG: The jinxed Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS), twelve years since laying of foundation, has remained incomplete being embroiled in financial and other hurdles.
The project which aims to augment water supply in the Greater Shillong area, besides some villages enroute from Mawphlang, has already overshot its original estimate of Rs 193 crore but is yet to achieve commensurate progress.
Now, the cash-strapped Meghalaya Government has submitted a proposal to NEC through DoNER ministry seeking additional assistance of Rs 60 crore to complete GSWSS Phase III which was behind schedule by nine years.
The project was originally approved by the Union Government at a cost of Rs 193.50 crore in October 2008 and was first scheduled to be completed by May 2011.
The project was meant to supply additional 24 million litres of water daily to meet the requirement of the projected population of Shillong Urban Agglomeration from 2011 to 2041.
“As per initial estimates, the department will require another Rs 75 crore to complete this long pending project. We have managed to bring down to Rs 60 crore after the estimates were redone. We are waiting for the response from the DoNER Ministry,” PHE minister, Samlin Malngiang told reporters here on Thursday.
According to him, the department will be able to complete the project within a year, if sanction was received from the NEC.
When asked on the fund utilised so far, Malgniang informed that the department had already expended more than Rs 150 crore on this project adding that 75 per cent of the work had been completed.
It may be mentioned that as of now, work is going on for the treatment plant at the main dam and the laying of pipes from the main feeder is continuing and even the work for laying the distribution pipes is almost completed in all areas except few areas of Mawlai.
The GSWSS Phase III was expected to mitigate the present water woes being faced by the residents of Shillong and the project was scheduled to be completed in June this year.
Malngiang said that the PHE will be working together with the PWD for the successful completion of the project.
Meanwhile, the department is also set to propose a new water supply scheme for the New Shillong Township.
Earlier, the New Shillong Township area was projected to be covered under the third phase of GSWSS but now the project will not cover areas beyond Nongmensong.
The Department has identified a source in the area which can cater to the New Shillong Township and they are preparing the DPR for the proposed project.