Work on Bhama Askhed pipeline to restart today
Apr 17, 2018, 23:59 IST
Pune: Work on the stalled Bhama Askhed water pipeline project is all set to restart on Wednesday. Pune municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao told reporters on Tuesday that the work would be carried out in association with the district administration.
Work on the project, which first started in 2014, had to be stopped several times since 2015 because of opposition from local residents, who have been demanding better compensation for their land.
“A review meeting to check the status of the project on Tuesday was informed that work on the pipeline as well as the jack well had been stalled due to opposition from local residents. We coordinated with the local district administration official to get the work started. The district administration has registered criminal offence cases against villagers for obstructing the work,” Rao said, adding, “ Nearly 119 cases have been registered and the work will start from Wednesday.”
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 380 crore, out of which around Rs 110 crore have been spent. Civic officials said nearly 40% of the work has been completed. The remaining work will be completed with additional funds from the state and Union governments, and the Pune Municipal Corporation
With not much progress on the project in recent times, the chances of drawing more water from the reservoir during the summer are slim. When completed, the project is expected to augment water supply to areas along Ahmednagar Road.
Residents along Ahmednagar Road have in the past staged several agitations demanding speedy completion of the project. They have been holding demonstrations under the banner of ‘Vadgaonsheri Vidhansabha Nagrik Kruti Samiti’ at different places.
Source : The Times Of India
