BHUBANESWAR: With over 52 per cent (pc) physical progress, the State Government has set December 2018 as the deadline for completion of sewerage and drainage works in the Twin City of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
The ambitious sanitation works launched under the Odisha Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project (OISIP) includes 632 km of sewer network (252 km in Bhubaneswar and 380 km in Cuttack), three sewerage treatment plants (STP-2 in Cuttack and one in Bhubaneswar) and 48 pumping stations in the Twin City.
While Bhubaneswar will have one STP with 48 MLD capacity, Cuttack will have 2 STPs of 36 MLD and16 MLD capacity each to treat all domestic wastewater generated within the cities.
Official sources said the achievement in construction of sewerage line varies from 46 to 58 pc while the progress in STP and pumping stations has been more than 61 pc. Of the total project cost of `2,974 crore, utilisation upto May, 2017 has been around `1,041 crore (which is 45 pc). While the State Government has provided `594 crore for the project, the loan component from the JICA is `2,380 crore.
Reviewing the progress of the project at a high-level committee meeting here, Chief Secretary AP Padhi directed Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) to complete the constructions and provide services to people by December, 2018.
OWSSB Project Director Basant Kumar Parida said a GIS-based platform about the sewerage and water supply network in the Twin City has been developed. It would help all households to know the exact position of sewerage and water line from their house so that they would plan the connections accordingly.
The Chief Secretary directed the Public Health department officers to keep the database updated for reference of all households.