Foundation stone of water treatment plant laid, to help about 10L people

Kolkata: State Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim on Friday laid the foundation stone of a water treatment plant (WTP) of 45 million gallon capacity at Akra under ward 7 of the Maheshtala Municipality.

The WTP which will be constructed by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will supply potable drinking water not only to the 35 wards under the civic body and also to the residents of Budge Budge and Pujali municipality. Nearly 10 lakh people in these three civic bodies will be benefitted by this water project.

Presently the residents of Maheshtala are dependent on water supply from Garden Reach Water Treatment Plant. Hakim said that three reservoirs will come up with one each at Maheshtala, Budge Budge and Pujali for uninterrupted water supply.

"The total project cost will be to the tune of Rs 398 crore and the financial approval has already been received," Hakim added. "Water from the Uludanga Park area of the river Hooghly will be lifted through an intake jetty and then will be transported through pipeline to the upcoming water treatment plant. The water will be purified and then supplied to every nook and corner of all the 35 wards of the civic body. The work for laying the pipeline for supplying water from the river to the treatment plant is going on in full swing and 90 per cent of the work has already been done," said Dulal Das, Chairman Board of Administrators Maheshtala Municipality.

It will take approximately 18 months to complete the same.