24x7 Narmada water supply for Bopal-Ghuma belt soon: Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority

If things go as per plan, residents of Bopal, Ghuma, and surrounding areas will start getting 24x7 Narmada water supply in a little over two years.

The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) said on Wednesday that it will soon begin the tendering process for laying pipelines and setting up other infrastructure for water supply in Bopal, Ghuma, Shela, Manipur and Godhavi. Sixty million litres per day (MLD) water would be supplied to these areas through Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's existing pipeline.

"There is no source of surface water in these areas, and they are totally dependent on groundwater, which has very high TDS (total dissolved solids) level. We will set up the infrastructure for 24x7 water supply, Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), volumetric metering, and bulk connections in buildings, at an estimated investment of Rs60 crore," AUDA chairman Vijay Nehra told reporters.

Nehra said they tender for appointing a consultant to design the project would be invited by March, while the work would be completed within 24 months of the Zero date. While AUDA would make the capital investment for the project, billing and other works would be undertaken by municipalities and village panchayats.

"This will provide a steady source of revenue to these bodies," he said.

The announcement comes even as Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has achieved little success in rolling out 24x7 metered water supply project. Nehra is also the city's municipal commissioner.

Nehra said that AUDA will also scale up expenditure for housing, bridges, roads, drainage, civic centres, gardens, among others, to achieve "development through infrastructure-led growth".

"We have already invited tenders for Rs400 crore projects, while the process for 23 other works at an estimated expenditure of Rs325 crore is in advanced stages. We want to increase the expenditure to Rs1,000 crore," he said.

Bridges in Dehgam and Shantipura circle, and town halls in Shela, Kathwada and Dehgam, are among the projects for which tenders have already been invited. A Rs14 crore pedestrian overbridge near Vastral metro station is among the projects for which tenders would be invited soon.

In another decision, the Authority's board decided to extend the drainage network being laid in Bopal, Ghuma and Shela to Shela gaamtal at a cost of Rs3 crore.

AUDA income nearly doubles to Rs 200 cr

AUDA's estimated income for the current financial year has been estimated at Rs200 crore, nearly twice that of the previous year. The Authority's income was Rs91 crore for 2016-17, Rs114 crore for 2017-18, and at Rs200 crore for 2018-19. The revised estimated were finalised by its board today. Nehra said the higher income is on account of monetisation of assets. The board approved the sale of four plots to Hindustan Petroleum for Rs54 crore, and one plot to Gujarat Gas for Rs64 crore said, Nehra. AUDA also decided to lease out 10 plots for open commercial purpose.

EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT IN THOL

• In a bid to curb pollution around Thol lake, which supports several bird species and is an eco-sensitive zone, AUDA has decided to go for land pooling to set up effluent treatment plant in the area. Water pollution is a big problem around the lake due to the presence of several industries, and urbanisation in surrounding areas.
   
• Nehra said that land pooling would be done in Santej-Ranakpur Town Planning schemes 152, 153 and 154 for setting up effluent treatment plant and other facilities, which would help in curbing pollution and prevent any adverse effects on the local ecology.