The Times of India           23.12.2013

Civic body seeks Rs 239 crore for twin-city drainage projects

KOLHAPUR: The twin cities of Sangli and Miraj, over 50km from Kolhapur, require approximately Rs 239 crore to complete underground drainage works, improve drinking water supply and minimize the discharge of untreated water and sewage in Krishna river, senior civic officials said.

The Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) officials said that the local body's income from taxes would not be sufficient to complete the works. The officials said that they are hoping that the state government will allocate funds for the projects.

A senior civic official, who did not wish to be named, said, "The drainage scheme in Sangli needs Rs 110 crore, but the problem is that the selected contractor has been blacklisted by the Solapur Municipal Corporation over non-completion of works. The civic body has to decide whether to continue the contract. A similar project to lay underground drainage pipelines to replace old infrastructure in Miraj needs Rs 114 crore."

The existing drainage network in the two cities is very old and the capacity of the pipes is limited. The ongoing construction of buildings, hotels and commercial complexes is increasing the load on the civic amenities. The project of laying new pipeline was proposed to cater to the rising demand.

The state government has already sanctioned Rs 34 crore for the project and communicated that no additional funding will be available. Civic officials said that the funding would not meet even half the requirement of the project.

Congress corporator Manohar Shinde said, "The state government's funding is not only insufficient but is often delayed. The contractors cannot function properly if the funds flow smoothly."

Officials said that the proposal to set up new sewage treatment plants has remained on paper. With the rapid urbanization and increased population in the cities, untreated sewage is being discharged into the Krishna river.

The release of untreated sewage has become a cause of concern for the SMKMC as well as the state government, because the polluted water flows to Karnataka, where the farmers and locals have raised complaints.

The civic officials said that the water treatment project at Sheri Nala has not received funding from the state government in the last six months. The cost of the project was Rs 22 crore, which has now inflated to Rs 42 crore, because the delay in funding. The corporation has spent Rs 30 crore so far, but the remaining funds are yet to be received, the officials said.

In addition, the state government has released Rs 38 crore of the Rs 98 crore for the slum rehabilitation project but the work has not been completed. The state government has asked the SMKMC to complete the work by March 2015.