MAPUSA
The much delayed sewerage project in Mapusa is expected to be up and running by May next year if everything goes as per the plan.
The Vice Chairman of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation and Mapusa MLA, Joshua D’Souza informed that the PWD has fixed Feb-March 2021 as the deadline to complete the remainder works and kick-start the project by then.
“We are trying our level best to fast track this project so that we can have a proper sewage network in Mapusa. The PWD has fixed a deadline of March 2021 but we have kept a timeline of May 2021 to complete the entire project,” D’Souza said.
He said the work got stuck over some payment issues which have been cleared but again due to the pandemic the process was delayed.
The entire sewerage network including work of sewerage treatment plant (STP) has been completed. The final job is to release house connections which will be carried out by the Goa State Sewerage Development Corporation (GSSDC).
But there are quite a few issues of cracks and leakages in chambers, the repair of which the company has assured to take up and complete within the next seven weeks.
The Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson,
Ryan Braganza has requested the councillors to identify any issues pertaining to the chambers in their wards so that the maintenance work can be taken up on priority.
“The process of repairing and fixing the chambers and other maintenance issues will be completed by the end of December 2020. The entire network needs to be air tight. In the rains, the water has been overflowing from the chambers and this has created some doubts in the minds of the people,” the Mapusa MLA said.
“I want to ensure that the sewerage network is completed in all respects before we take up the work of issuing connections to individual homes,” he added.
After the entire sewerage network is finalised the next phase is to issue connections to individual households.
The contract to lay the sewerage line in Mapusa and Calangute-Baga was awarded to Simplex Infrastructures Ltd in 2012 while work on the project began in April 2013.
The total cost of the project was pegged at Rs 152.72 crore and was expected to be completed in September 2015.
With a total of 1,429 manholes and 1,450 inspection chambers in place, sewerage pipeline network of around 38 km in length is complete in Mapusa.
The Sewerage Treatment Plant at Camarkhazan, Mapusa is also complete and the trial run of the plant is expected to start soon.
The sewerage work in several parts of the State is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
