PUNE: Following Member of Parliament (MP) of Pune city Girish Bapat’s displeasure about Pune water supply department’s 24x7 water supply project, it has gathered some speed. The construction of overhead water tanks seems to have be given a priority. Earlier, Bapat had convened a meeting in the Pune Municipal Corporation on June 15 to review developmental work carried out by the civic body. Sakal Times too had earlier carried a report on June 20 regarding the slow work of overhead water tanks’ 24x7 water supply.
PMC Superintendent Engineer, water supply department, Nandkumar Jagtap, said, “The work for the construction of some tanks was going at a slow speed. MP Girish Bapat too pointed this out. Following this, we have instructed the contractors Larsen and Toubro (L&T) to speed up the work. They have increased the workforce. Earlier, there were around 200 workers. Now, they have doubled the number of workers. Work is going on at full speed. At present, the work for 65 tanks is going on in various parts of the city.”
In the June meeting, Bapat had instructed Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao and all concerned department heads to speed up the works. Before this meeting, Sakal Times had highlighted the issue of slow work of 24x7 water supply water tanks. The report mentioned that out of 82 water tanks, 30 tanks’ work is progressing at slow speed and the civic body had sent a notice to the contractor to speed up the work.
Under the 24x7 equitable and uninterrupted water supplies project, the PMC has decided to build overhead water tanks across the city. There are a total of 103 overhead water tanks under the scheme. However, the PMC has prioritised 82 tanks. The PMC awarded contract to L&T in September 2016. The total project cost is Rs 245 crore. The capacity of water tanks varies from minimum 10 lakh litres to maximum 90 lakh litres.
WORK STOPPED
The PMC has temporarily stopped work of three water tanks after two wall collapse incidents in the city, due to excavation work at nearby compound walls. Under 24x7 water supply project, the contractor is constructing tanks in Kalas (Vishrantwadi) and Wadgaon Budruk. However, there is black cotton soil and narrow roads. The PMC has instructed the contractor to resume the work after monsoon.
