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Chandigarh Smart City Limited’s 24X7 water supply project in Manimajra delayed again
The work was expected to begin in September and finish by the end of March 2022
In the absence of bidders, the ambitious 24X7 water supply project in Manimajra has been delayed yet again.
The Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) will refloat tenders after making modifications in the technical requirements of the contract.
The project was approved in March this year with a budget of ₹162 crore. The work was expected to begin in September and finish by the end of March 2022. “With CSCL failing to even allot the work, the completion of the project is expected to stretch to at least the end of 2022,” said a CSCL official wishing not to be named.
In July this year, after failing to get any response from the bidders, CSCL had made amendments and allowed joint venture companies to participate in the bidding process. But the tendering process that was restarted in August also didn’t find any takers.
“We will be floating the tenders again and are hopeful that the response will be positive,” said the official.
What project entails
The scope of the project entails retrofitting of existing network, laying of new network, including civil, electro-mechanical, instrumentation, smart water metering, SCADA and operation and maintenance for 15 years.
A total of 13,700 water connections have been planned to be covered in Manimajra. One of the main focus areas will be to reduce water leakage from existing 50% to 15%.
The success of the Manimajra 24/7 water supply project will majorly impact CSCL’s planned pan-city 24/7 water project, for which CSCL and the municipal corporation are in advanced talks with a French development bank, Agence Française de Développement, for availing a loan of ₹550 crore.
