Stuck for 8 years, work on Maharashtra’s Gargai dam takes off
The long-pending Gargai dam project finally inched ahead with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) receiving a biodiversity study report on the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary’s 750 hectares of land, the project’s proposed construction site.
The report said forest owlet, an endangered species, is threatened due to the project. However, the BMC has not got the conservation measures they should take for such endangered species. Only after the remedial measures are suggested, the project can be forwarded to the central and state governments for approvals.
A senior civic official from the water supply projects department, said, “The consultants are yet to give us the conservation measures if this project has to be implemented. But the report has not been very negative considering the sanctuary’s 750 hectares were studied and only one species is likely to be endangered, which is Forest Owlet.”
While the project is yet to get central ministry’s forest department’s nod, a consultant was appointed to carry out a study of the biodiversity on the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary to seek their approval.
With the civic body stocking enough water to last the citizens until July 2017 and considering city’s rising drinking water requirement, the BMC had announced this project few years back.
Currently, city gets 3,780 million litres water daily as against the demand for 4,300 million litres. The Gargai dam project will provide the city with additional 440 million litres daily.
After a prolonged delay, the BMC aims to start the construction of the dam in the next two years. For the work on the Gargai project to start, the authorities need to rehabilitate at least 200 families from Wada in Palghar district.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs1,900 crore and set an ambitious target to complete in five years.
A civic official, said, “While the project cost is estimated to about Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 crore, the remaining will be net present value that will have to be submitted as a part of compensation for the wildlife sanctuary.”
Meanwhile, the civic body is also in the process of appointing a consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report for the implementation of the project
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Petrol & diesel to get cheaper in Maharashtra: CM Eknath Shinde in Assembly
Hours after establishing a majority in the floor test, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced relief in petrol and diesel prices in the coming days. Shinde said his government will cut VAT on fuel to provide relief 'to the people of Maharashtra'. Shinde made the announcement during the concluding session of the two-day Assembly. A decision to reduce VAT on fuel will be taken in the state cabinet, Shinde informed the House.
-
Man allegedly killed by wife’s relatives for marrying against parents’ wishes
In a tragic incident, a 25-year-old man was allegedly strangled to death and later set ablaze, by Reddy's wife's relatives for marrying his distant cousin Ravali's without her parents' consent, in Hyderabad, the police said on Sunday. The partly-charred and decomposed body of the deceased, identified as a resident of Kukatpally, S Narayan Reddy, was recovered by police in the forest area of Jinnaram late on Saturday night.
-
Pourakarmikas call off stir as Bommai promises permanent job within 3 months
Pourakarmikas, who had been staging an indefinite dharna for better salaries and permanent jobs, on Monday, called off their protest after Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai directed the municipal administration department to start the process of granting permanent employment status to the civic workers in three months. In a statement released by his team, Bommai also said that “drivers and loaders outside the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be brought into direct payment”.
-
Mahamandaleshwar status to deserving & qualified saints only: Niranjani Akhara
One of the largest Akhadas of the thirteen Akhadas-Shri Taponidhi Panchayati Niranjani Akhada, has decided to accord Mahamandaleshwar status to deserving and qualified saints only. Currently, about fifty to sixty Mahamandaleshwar are directly associated with Niranjani Akhada. This initiative from Niranjani Akhada has also led to other Akhadas thinking on similar lines. But they are not willing to speak on this issue openly waiting for the Niranjani Akhada-led saints' committee draft formation in this regard.
-
Major bureaucratic reshuffle: 29 IAS, 16 IPS officers transferred in Rajasthan
The Rajasthan state government on Monday transferred 29 IAS and 16 IPS officers, including six collectors and three superintendents of police. Prakash Rajpurohit is appointed as the new collector of Jaipur; Jitendra Kumar Soni of Alwar; Anil Kumar Agarwal of Dholpur; Tina Dabi of Jaisalmer; Ravindra Goswami of Bundi and Inderjeet Yadav of Dungarpur. IPS Prashan Kumar Khamesra was transferred as IGP, Kota from Bharatpur, Gaurav Srivastava as IGP, Bharatpur from IGP Personnel, Jaipur.
