Hakim opens Rs 158 crore Kalyani water proj; to benefit 1.64L people

Kolkata: State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim on Thursday inaugurated a treated surface water supply scheme of Kalyani Municipality that will benefit 1.64 lakh residents of the municipal area.

“Earlier, the Kalyani water project with a capacity of 30 million gallons per day (MGD) also supplied water to adjoining municipalities. But gradually, these municipalities have developed their own surface water schemes. With the new augmentation of 10 MGD, the project now has a total capacity of 40 MGD, which will suffice for at least the next 25 years for Kalyani residents, who are riding the wave of development,” Hakim said.

Calling Kalyani an extended part of Kolkata with rapid growth, Hakim described the Kalyani state highway as a “game changer.” He added that since 2011, after the Trinamool Congress came to power under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, 110 new water projects have been taken up, compared to just two before 2011.

According to an official of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), which has executed the project, it includes installation of a 100 lakh gallon-per-day pump and motor at the existing intake jetty on the Hooghly at Chaitanya Doba in Halisahar; construction of a 100 lakh gallon-per-day water treatment plant at the existing Kalyani Water Treatment Plant premises in Ward 19; a 10 lakh gallon underground reservoir-cum-booster pumping station in Ward 14; six new overhead tanks of varying capacities; and laying of 61 km of clear water pipeline of different diameters to ensure equitable distribution across Kalyani Municipality.

The project, estimated at Rs 158.30 crore, has been entirely funded by the state government.