Berhampur, Sept. 2: The construction of the long-pending Janibili water project will start this month. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation of the project on October 3, 2013.

When asked what caused the delay, assistant engineer, division No. II, Durgamadhab Patnaik said: "Preparation of project report and tender process are long process. Urban development department floated global tender twice, but no bidders turned up. "

Later, L & T (Larsen and Turbo) was awarded the tender in which eight companies were the bidders.

After it is implemented, the Rs 452cr project will solve the drinking water crisis of the city till 2043, said executive engineer of the public health and engineering department (Phed) Sitaram Panda.

"We have already identified around five acres at Jagadalapur for the 100 million litre per day (MLD) treatment plant. The project will provide around 125 MLD water to the city and 54 villages in 14 panchayats. The project will also be able to mitigate the drinking water problem at Aska and Hinjili in Ganjam," he said.

The construction would be completed in two years, he added.

The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) has sanctioned Rs 415 crore for this project.

Recently, the chief minister reviewed the scheme along with other projects and it was approved in the state cabinet meeting.

The city requires at least 63 MLD of water, but official records put the figure at 56 MLD. At present, Dakhinapur project supplies around 26 MLD, Rushikulya 14 MLD and another six MLD is managed from bore wells, said executive engineer of Phed. The city has 2,004 stand posts and 1,277 tube wells.

Water supply to the town was taken over by the Phed from Berhampur Municipality on August 1, 1986.#