Silchar, Dec. 24: The Greater Aizawl Water Supply Scheme Phase II project is likely to be abandoned midway because of the ?slow and unsatisfactory? progress of the project. The Rs 176.55 crore-project was undertaken to ensure a steady supply of potable water to Aizawl.
A recent survey conducted by the Centre for Northeast Studies and Policy Research under the department of the development of the northeastern region (Doner) concluded that the project ?was being implemented by the Mizoram government whimsically without any systematic approach?. ?Hence the scheme may have to be abandoned half-done,? the survey report concluded.
The phase II scheme, designed to supplement the first phase, has the capacity to generate 10.8 million litres of drinking water a day. It was commissioned in December 1988 at the cost of Rs 18 crore.
Though the project was approved by the Centre in 1998, construction could begin only in 2000 because of a legal problem. With the delay, the project cost spiralled to Rs 176.55 crore from the initial estimation of Rs 71.80 crore. In its report the Doner team pointed out several anomalies like the selection of two diameters for the pumping mains in violation of the established engineering norms.
The team was of the opinion that the 300 per cent escalation from Rs 45.73 lakh to Rs 1,450.6 lakh in the cost of five items of civil works on the basis of the current rate was ?unreasonably high?. The report also regretted that though awards of contracts for Rs 92.32 crore were floated, the construction of the main reservoir at Tuikhushtlang in central Aizawl is yet to begin.