New water supply scheme gets included in AMRUT 2.0 Mission

- Target to complete by February 2024.

- Central team to survey and make an assessment on 24x7 water supply.

- Central Government to contribute Rs 678 crore and AMC will have to raise Rs 810 crore.

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Oct 6:

The union Minister of State for Finance, Bhagwat Karad, on Thursday, announced that the ambitious new water supply scheme of valuing Rs 1680 crore, which aims to quench the thirst of the citizens, has been included in AMRUT 2.0 Mission. The estimated cost of the project, with the increase of Rs 1,034 crore, will now be Rs 2,714.20 crore.

While addressing the media persons at Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) headquarters, the minister said, “Water is the core issue of the city for the past many years. The then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had approved the new water supply scheme for the city. The tender procedure got completed, but the work seems to be going on at a snail’s pace in the last two years. There was a demand during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to send the proposal to the Centre for inclusion of the scheme in AMRUT 2.0, but the past government paid no heed towards it. However, after the change in power, the proposal was sent to the Centre. Accordingly, the Central Government approved it with an additional increase in the

estimated cost.”

The AMC municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari, city engineer

S D Panzade, chief engineer of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) Ram Lolapot,

executive engineer (MJP) Ajay Singh, executive engineer (AMC) M B Kazi, Kiran Dhande, deputy engineer Manoj Baviskar and project management consultant (PMC) Sameer Joshi were

present on the occasion.

Water supply 24x7?

The new water supply scheme does not include the proposal for fixing water-meters. However, it is necessary if the water is supplied 24x7. A fund of Rs 100 crore is required to fix the meters. The Central Government has announced a scheme assuring the supply of water 24x7 in 80 cities of India. Hence efforts will be made to include Aurangabad in this scheme said Karad adding that the MJP officials have been instructed to study and submit the proposal to the Centre. Besides, a Central Government squad will review whether it is feasible to fix the water meters or not.

Deadline till February 2024

Prior to the press conference, the union minister held a meeting with MJP and AMC officials and reviewed the status of the new water supply scheme works. He ordered them to complete the project by February 2024. He also underlined to intimate MJP if the speed of the project is not gaining momentum.

Two years for Source Well

The Central Government has granted all the permissions required for the implementation of the new scheme. The headwork at Jayakwadi Dam is the major one. It would take at least two years to start it, apprised the MJP executive engineer Ajay Singh in the meeting. He also said that the works will be started after the level of water in the dam recedes down. If needed, the MJP will hold a meeting with officials from the public works department (PWD), said Singh.

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AMC will have to put in Rs 810 crore!

The scheme will have a 25 per cent contribution from the Central Government, 45 per cent from the State Government and 30 per cent from the Local Self-government (AMC). Hence the AMC will have to invest Rs 810 crore in the project. Reviewing the financial situation, it is nearly impossible for AMC to contribute such a big amount as a share in the project, pointed out the AMC civic chief Abhijeet Chaudhari. Hence the union minister assured him of soon organising a joint meeting with AMC, State and Central Government officials in this regard.