Nisha Chetri
Kalimpong, June 10:

The familiar scene of Kalimpong people standing on serpentine queue early morning every two days,  jostling to fill their water jars will 'permanently' change for good soon, courtesy Kalimpong PHE department's efforts to solve the water crisis, informed Anil Chhetri, Executive Engineer, PHE.

Few months ago a preliminary survey was conducted  and the typographical survey has been initiated now with a view to speed-up the work towards mitigating the persisting water woes. A Rs.140 crore project is underway which will solve the problem of water crisis permanently, thanks to the GTA Chief Bimal Gurung for prioritizing the project's completion at the earliest, Chhetri added. Gurung in his last Kalimpong visit had convened an emergency meeting in a hotel here to discuss on ways to mitigate the water crisis, said a source.

According to the project detail, water will be sourced from Neora water-source through a modified distributing system and consultants have already started their work in this field. A team of 14 survey personnels have completed their work in ward-1 and are now surveying wards 12 and 13, the EE informed.It may take another 2 months to complete the entire survey till Neora which has a 74-75 kilometer long pipeline from the town.

Speaking to Journalists, Chettri said, "we have a cutoff date of 6 months to get our DPR ready, the typographical survey will still take time because of  the monsoon. However the estimated cost would exceed 100 crore in the modified system and the dedicated pipeline from Neora measuring 300 mm will reach the Rs. 40-50 crore cost mark".

Besides survey a detailed project report will be prepared and submitted to the government and the execution of work after getting the government's approval might take some time, said Chettri adding that the work of modified distributing system would take two-three years after completion of the tender process