100% of Ahmedabad to get water supply soon

Even as Ahmedabad calls itself a mega city, residents of the new west zone and newly merged areas of east and north zone are still struggling for proper drainage and water facility.

In fact, lack of adequate water supply and drainage facilities top the list of woes of many residents of Ahmedabad. It should be noted that the lack of basic infrastructure, particularly water supply, continues despite the fact that the city has secured water resources keeping in the mind the demand for the same till 2015.

But lack of distribution network has ensured that despite having water, many residents struggle to procure the precious commodity.

Now in its budget for 2010-11, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has promised to cover all the city's areas for water distribution. At present only 85% of the city areas have access to the same. The civic body plans to spend around Rs93 crore to create a water distribution network, and Rs270 crore for drainage network. 

The residents of new west zones also complain of high level of TDS in drinking water.

With Narmada water, the problem could be solved. "AMC has planned around 11 water distribution stations in the zone," said Tarun Lad, special city engineer of water projects of the AMC.
"Moreover, the civic body also plans to use the water tanks built by the nagarpalikas. The nagarpalikas used to provide drinking water from bore-wells. We continued the practise after merging these areas with AMC," he said.

"But now the water tanks will store Narmada water once they are connected to the trunk line," he said.  The civic body will also build water distribution centres in newly merged areas in the north and east zones.  It plans to spend around Rs31 crore for setting up eight water distribution stations in New Naroda, New Odhav, Ramol and Vastral, among others.

Talking about the water resources, Lad said it won't be an issue till 2015 provided the water supply from Narmada continues.  He said some areas are facing problem of low water pressure and hence the AMC has decided to lay two additional trunk lines in the western parts of the city.

It has also decided to set up drainage network of around 666 kilometres.

The network has been planned for new west as well as eastern AUDA areas of the city at a total cost of around Rs270 crore.  The AMC had inaugurated a drainage pumping station at Pirana with sewerage treatment capacity of 180 million litres per day (MLD) in October. One more sewerage treatment plant with a capacity of 60 MLD at Pirana would be operational by March 2010. 

Besides, 35 MLD plants would come up at Vasna by the same time. AUDA is also setting up two sewerage treatment plants of 240 MLD and 70 MLD at Vasna and Vinzol respectively and both these plants are expected to be operational by May 2010. "Once these plants become operational, there won't be any need for additional capacity till 2022," said Lad.