Sambalpur, Jan 19: Work on laying of pipeline to draw water for Modipara Water Treatment Plant of the city from Hirakud Dam Reservoir (HDR) is going on in full swing and likely to be complete in a year.
The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is executing the work involving a total estimated cost of Rs 7.31 crore, said officials
“The work has already begun. A target has been set to complete the work within one year,” said assistant engineer of the PHED, Jadab Chandra Dehury.
Dehury said that pipelines of 4.46 km would be laid from Bareipali to Modipara under this project to draw water from Hirakud Dam Reservoir for Modipara water treatment plant.
The water treatment plant, which is located at Bareipali of the city, draws water from Hirakud Dam Reservoir directly. The PHED will draw additional water, and supply it to the Modipara water treatment plant through the new pipelines, which will be laid from Bareipali to Modipara.
Currently, the Modipara Water Treatment Plant is draws the water from near the Balibandha ghat of River Mahanadi, which flows along the city and supplies the water to the old Sambalpur area after treatment.
However, the decision to draw the water directly from the Hirakud Dam Reservoir for the Modipara water treatment plant was taken in the backdrop of jaundice outbreak in the city. The Modipara water treatment plant caters to the old town area. However, these old area of the city was the worst affected due to the jaundice.
The treatment plant at Modipara will stop drawing water from the Balibandha ghat after work on laying of pipeline is completed.
Apart from laying of pipelines, some renovation work of Modipara Water Treatment Plant will also be carried out under this project. The treatment plant had a capacity to treat 11.25 MLD when it was set up. However, the treatment capacity has decreased to 4 to 5 MLD now.
“The treatment plant will be renovated and the original treatment capacity of the treatment plant will be regained,” added Dehury.
