NAGPUR: The residents of East and North Nagpur may now hope for better water supply. Nagpur Municipal Corporation has begun steps to get uninterrupted power supply for Kanhan water treatment plant at an expense of Rs 6.29 crore.

The NMC is making all efforts to build a proper platform for private operator Orange City Water Ltd (OCWL) to ensure water supply to the city improves. The Central government, under JNNURM, had sanctioned projects worth Rs 1,500 crore for improvement of water works. Some of these are completed and the remaining, excluding 24x7 water supply project, are nearing completion. The entire water works was handed over to OCWL from December 2011.

NMC had also decided to improve the electricity infrastructure at Kanhan water treatment plant in 2011 which is a new plant constructed under JNNURM. The water supply used to get hampered many times due to power supply problems.

A senior NMC official said Rs 6.29 crore will be spent by NMC itself at the Kanhan plant. "Independent electricity express feeder of 12 km length will be established from 220 KV Kanhan substation of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco). NMC has paid Rs 22 lakh to Mahatransco for the work. Besides, Rs 3.47 crore have been deposited with MSEDCL for establishing the feeder. Rs 2.60 crore will be spent on improving electricity infrastructure at the Kanhan plant. Tenders have been floated for the works. The proposal to issue work order to the lowest bidder will be placed before the standing committee in coming days," he said.

The NMC had handed over the Kanhan plant to Veolia Water India Ltd in 2009-10 for construction of new plant with installed capacity of 240 million litres per day under PPP model. The new plant constructed with JNNURM funds including 50% from the Centre, 20% from state and 30% from Veolia was formally inaugurated in December 2011. Veolia will operate and maintain the plant for next 15 years. Still, NMC went for fresh investment in the plant citing responsibility to ensure proper water supply to the citizens.

Since inauguration, Kanhan plant is yet to achieve its rated capacity of 240 MLD. It is expected to do so in coming days with increase in water level of Kanhan river. The uninterrupted power supply will help augment capacity utilization. Besides, NMC is also planning to go for construction of barrage near the plant and is doing a feasibility study for the project.