Kothagudem: It is not possible for the Mission Bhagiratha works in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district to be completed by their due date.
The project aims to supply water from River Godavari to the people of the state. The project completion date was supposed to have been April 1, 2018, but it was later brought forward by six months, to October 1, 2017.
Bhadradri district is massive in terms of area, and its landscapes and terrain pose a challenge to contractors. The laying of 900-kilometre long pipelines within a period of four months is proving to be a tough task for the agencies involved.
There are 1,826 habitations in the district that will be supplied water through the project, and the distance between two adjacent villages in the agency area can be over 10 km.
Apart from the pipelines, two intake wells will also have to be constructed, to lift water from the river; and three water plants will be required to pump 207 million litres to the 1,826 habitations every day.
The construction of the water treatment plant at Toggudem near Paloncha is progressing slowly, and the construction of two others, at Poosuru in Vazed mandal and Rathamgutta in Manuguru mandal, is yet to begin.
The Toggudem plant will receive water from the Kammarigudem intake well; and purified water from the plant will be supplied to various mandals in Kothagudem, Aswaraopet and Yellandu.
A second intake well will be constructed near Poosuru village, from where water will be supplied to Vazed and Venkatapuram mandals.
Another major task that is pending under the Mission Bhagiratha project is the construction of 750 surface water tanks that will supply water to 2800 habitations. The construction of these tanks is yet to commence.
Apart from this, nine ground-level balancing reservoirs and 17 overhead balancing reservoirs need to be built at various locations. The design and construction of these tanks and reservoirs is a lengthy process.
Time will also have to be devoted to the rectification of errors. “Hundreds of technical snags will come up, and all these barriers can only be overcome through trial and error,” an official said.
