Surat to have water & drainage network by 2012

SURAT: Executive engineer Jatin Shah of the SMC is confident that the entre city will have a comprehensive water and drainage system by the end of 2012, thanks to the allocation of Rs 68 crore from the state government. As of now, the water and drainage networks cover 70 per cent of the city.
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has made a provision of Rs 91 crore in 2011-'12 budget and will allocate another Rs 137 crore in the budget of 2011-'12.
After the city limits were expanded to 326 sq km from 112 sq km in 2007, it was a challenge for the civic body to provide basic infrastructural amenities like water, drainage and roads to the entire population. But today in a span of four years, it has succeeded in providing these facilities to 88 per cent of the population and 70 per cent of the city area. It has laid a pipeline network of 1,272 km, 32 sewerage pumping stations and eight sewerage treatment plants.
The state government's allocation of Rs 68 crore from the golden jubilee urban development plan has expedited work in south, southeast and southwest parts of the city. The Central government allocation under JnNURM is helping provide these facilities to Pal, Vesu and new parts of Athwa and Umra area of the city.
"Our Mindhola River Rehabilitation Project of Rs 254 crore is in finalisation stage and will be sent for the Central government's approval. If sanctioned, it will have 50 per cent central allocation, 30 per cent local and 20 per cent of state government funding," said Shah.
In the past, the civic body took more than two decades to provide proper sewerage system to Rander. The plan drawn up in 1974 was completed in 1997.