February 4, 2015
Water for all: Bengal shows the way
Public Health Engineering Department has been working towards the commitment of providing clean drinking water to every block in West Bengal.
A ‘Vision 2020’ document has been formulated which involves step for the medium term and the long term with a budget of Rs 1295 crore and Rs 21,285 crore respectively.
Here are the few key highlights in efforts of providing clean drinking water for all:
- 428 numbers of piped water projects has been sanctioned, which is estimated to benefit around 1.25 crore people ( 2011 census data).
- More than 41 thousand hand pumps installed.
- The coverage of piped water has increased from 37.95% to 44.11%.
- For arsenic purification, 349 projects have been undertaken. Out of which 212 have already started. More than 28 lakh people will benefit from this.
- A “International Centre for Water Quality” is proposed to come up at Joka, Kolkata. This will be the first in the kind in India.
- 7 bottling plants have already started and 15 on the move purification machines have started.
Significant Projects:
- Jangalmahal : Around 50 projects of piped water has been undertaken in the backward areas of Jangalmahal, out of which 39 has already been commissioned. It involves an expenditure of Rs 141 crores and will benefit more than 3 lakh people.
- In Bankura under the BRGF (Backward Region Grant Fund) a project has been undertaken with a cost of 1011 crore which will benefit 30 lakh people. A project for Purulia is also undertaken with assistance from JICA worth Rs 1173 crore, which will benefit 15 lakh people.
- Major projects are underway in Kulpi, Panskura, Habra, Gaighata, Bally and others.
Achievements in Kolkata:
- 95% of the area in Kolkata, under KMC is now supplied with clean drinking water.
- The project of laying of 64’’ diameter Transmission Main from Palta to Tallah, with a cost of Rs 326 crores, has been completed and it has benefited around 20 lakh citizens of Kolkata.
- Construction of 15 MGD Water treatment plant at Garden Reach and Chetla Booster Pumping Station has finished. These projects will benefit around 2.5 lakh residents of Behala, Chetla and parts of South Kolkata.
- Construction of Intake Jetty and Pump House at ‘Mayer Ghat’ along with 30 MGD capacity “Jai Hind” project at Dhapa and its distribution network has been completed with a cost of around Rs 400 crore. This will benefit around 7 lakh residents of Kolkata.
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