PANAJI:
With some progress achieved in the challenging tail-end stretch of the 'Smart City' sewerage project from the Taad Maad temple in Tonca-St Inez to the Sewage Treatment Plant, officials of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited are confident most of the major works will be completed before the March 31 deadline.
IPSCDL said in a statement on Tuesday that a "significant milestone" was reached by installing the initial 12 meters of the 200-meter main trunk sewerage pipeline at the Taad Maad Temple area.
This final phase integrates the sewerage system from Taad Maad Temple to the STP Bridge in Tonca, which is an approximately 200-meter long stretch.
Concerns have been raised in some quarters that the IPSCDL may overrun the March 31 deadline, especially after the Central Housing and Urban Affairs Minister cited several reasons for delay in a reply to Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade in Parliament.
Reasons such as non-availability of construction materials, seasonal rains and factors such as delay in getting clearances from different departments were cited by MoS Tokhan Sahu for delays in his reply to Tanavade.
Meanwhile IPSCDL said a 710-mm diameter trunk line is being laid and simultaneously, at least two more manholes, house connection chambers, utility chambers, ducts, essential crossings and concrete road with designer footpaths are being built simultaneously.
According to IPSCDL managing director and CEO, Sanjit Rodrigues, this final 200-meter stretch is challenging as existing utility lines like water and electricity supply, besides GAIL's main gas line criss-cross in the area.
"Also the soil conditions here are soft and sandy coupled with a high water table. This makes additional measures like dewatering and comprehensive shoring to tackle the risk of land-slips and collapses of the surrounding areas quintessential," Rodrigues said, adding that it has been ensured that the Taad Maad shrine and the adjoining banyan tree have remained 100 per-cent unaffected.
IPSCDL meanwhile said that contrary to some reports, no retaining walls had collapsed but a section of the stormwater drain wall got loosened by the excavation.
"There is no retaining wall near Taad Maad Temple. Some sections of the stormwater drain there had to be temporarily dismantled to facilitate safe shoring and protect a live gas line," IPSCDL said.
The statement added that since the pipeline being used for this 200-meter stretch is a huge 710-mm one, the excavation has go to a depth of 12 meters which caused minor soil settlement leading to a leak in a live water pipeline.
"To prevent further soil settlement, the affected line was promptly shut down and repaired but a temporary water supply disruption occurred in three Government Quarters edifices and a nearby garage.
Since work is being carried out at depths of 10-12 meters, operations have to cease at sundown around 5:30 pm in view of worker safety and a dedicated team of engineers is continuously monitoring the execution, it said.
