Project Can Provide 22.60 MLD of Additional Water: Kuldeep

Port Blair, June 1: The Member of Parliament, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration to execute the Stage II proposal of Rutland Water Supply Project as early as possible.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Member of Parliament mentioned that the completion of Stage – I of Rutland Water Supply Project in December 2021 provided much required 6.60 ML (Million Litres) of water daily from Rutland to Pongi Balu – Dhanikhari Dam catering to the daily growing demand of water of Port Blair City. Execution of the said project helped to a certain extent in alleviating the daily water demand.

However due to periodical increase in Population (both fixed and floating) of Port Blair Town and increasing pace of development work being carried out in and around the city, there is a regular growing demand of water required to be supplied in ample quantity to the populace of Port Blair City thereby calling for new water supply projects to be taken up.

He said that considering in advance the impact of EI-NINO this year which may worsen the water scenario next year and global increase of temperature by 1.5 degree in the coming decade due to climate change we strongly need to robust our water infrastructure to tackle with any such eventualities which may cause severe water crisis in this pristine Island.

“Also, to mention that the new airport terminal building which is coming up will require tentatively 1-1.2 ML of water daily to handle its day to day activities,” the MP observed.

Citing all these, the Member of Parliament suggested that Stage-II Proposal of Rutland Water Supply Project may be taken up immediately to ameliorate the water demand of the coming 15-20 years of Port Blair City.

He said that during his recent visit to Rutland Island to completely understand the proposal and after deliberating with field staff and general public and to his understanding, it is proposed that in best Public Interest the complete Stage II Proposal may be taken up in UNISON and not to be taken up in bits and pieces (which might take years to complete).

The Details of the Stage II proposal of Rutland Water Supply Project covering both Eastern and Western side of the Rutland Island are as under :-

Western Side of Rutland Island:

At present 05 Nos. perennial sources of water were tapped in completed Stage -I proposal of Rutland water supply scheme namely:

1) Bamboo Nallah, 2) Kumda Nallah, 3) Kendi Nallah – I, 4) Kendi Nallah – II, 5) Badakhari Nallah: From these 05 Nos. sources 6.60 MLD of water is made available and transported to Pongi Balu through 300 mm dia. Submarine Pipeline.

However, he mentioned that there are further 05 Nos. untapped perennial water sources on Western side of Rutland which were left in stage – I proposal and these 05 Nos. left out sources when tapped will provide an additional discharge of 6.0 MLD there by augmenting the available water on western side of Rutland from existing 6.60 MLD to 12.60 MLD. Thus extension of Stage -I is highly advisable. Details of left out perennial water sources on western side of Rutland are:

1) Kiched Nallah - 0.5 MLD, 2) Ghas Nallah -1.0 MLD, 3) Anarkali Nallah - 1.0 MLD, 4) Japan Nallah - 1.0 MLD and 5) Komio Nallah – 2.5 MLD totalling to 6 MLD

The Proposal may include:

1. a) Tapping balance 05 Nos. perennial sources by constructing Check weir of appropriate height.
2. b) Laying of HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) Pipeline for about 7.70 km of various required diameter from these untapped 05 Nos. perennial sources.
3. c) Upgrading of existing 16.00 Km laid HDPE pipeline with larger diameter of HDPE pipeline from Badakhari village to RM Point, Rutland for carrying excess available 6.0 MLD of water from existing 6.60 MLD of water (totalling to 12.60 MLD of water).
4. d) Laying of additional 1,70 Km 300 mm diameter Carbon Steel Submarine pipeline from RM Point, Rutland to Pongi Balu for transporting in gravity the excess available 6.0 MLD of water from 05 Nos, untapped perennial water sources. (As the existing laid 300 mm dia. Submarine pipeline was only designed for carrying 6.60 MLD of water).
5. e) Upgrading of existing Pump House at Pongi Balu by installation of additional 01 No. Electric engine pump set of required capacity.
6. f) Complete automation of the existing entire water generation and distribution system from Rutland to Pongi Balu – Dhanikhari Dam using SCADA.

Eastern side of Rutland Island: Stage – II

There are five untapped perennial sources of water on Eastern side of Rutland as under which when tapped will provide a total discharge of 10 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of water:

1) Chain Nallah - 4.0 MLD, 2) Meetha Nallah – 3 MLD, 3) Purana Dera Nallah – I - 0.5 MLD, 4) Purana Dera Nallah – II - 1.5 MLD, 5) Purana Dera Nallah – III - 1.0 MLD totalling 10 MLD.

The Proposal may include:

1. a) Tapping all perennial sources by constructing Check weir of appropriate height.
2. b) Laying of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Pipeline for about 15.50 km of various required diameter from these sources to Puranadera, Rutland.
3. c) Construction of 2.0 - 3.0 ML RCC Surface water tank at Puranadera, Rutland for providing the required pressure and head for water to be transported in gravity through Sub- marine Pipeline from Puranadera to Pongi Balu.
4. d) Laying of 400 - 450 mm diameter Carbon Steel Submarine Pipeline of about 3.5 km from Puranadera to Pong Balu.
5. e) Construction of 10.0 - 120 ML RCC Surface water tank at Pongi Balu for water to be made available for pumping.
6. f) Construction of pump house and installation of 2 Nos Electric engine pump set and 2 Nos Diesel engine pump set of required capacity at Pongi Balu for pumping available water from Pongi Balu to Dhanikhari Dam.
7. g) Laying of 400 - 450 mm diameter Ductile iron Electric Resistance Welded pipeline of about 10 km from Pong Balu to Dhani Khan Dam for conveying/transporting available water.
8. h) Complete automation of the entire water generation and distribution system using SCADA.

He mentioned that the proposal as detailed above when completed will provide a total of 22.60 MLD of water from existing 6.60 MLD of water from Rutland thereby augmenting the availability of water by 16.00 MLD. Also to kindly perused that Daily water being supplied to Port Blair city at present is about 33.50 ML and as stated above this total augmented water of 22.60 ML from Rutland will account to 67% of daily water requirement of Port Blair city which will not only immensely help in meeting the peak summer months demand but if planned, organize, managed properly and executed as a single Project will certainly help in supplying ample quantity of water to the residents of Port Blair city during the peak summer months.

 “The tentative cost of the proposed Stage II Proposal of Rutland water supply project would be around 350 Crores if executed in UNISON,” he added.

He requested that in the greater public interest the entire Stage Il proposal may be taken up as a single project on TURNKEY/EPC mode so that the entire work/project can be monitored and completed within a time frame of 02 to 2.5 Years, instead of taking up different aspect of the work in bits and pieces which in turn will take considerable time for completion with minimal control on the time bound progress of the work.

He also requested to take up this project on priority to slay the water demand of Port Blair city in summer months from January to May every year and to make available the required quantity of water to the general public so that the situation of water curtailment in summer months shall not crop up for Port Blair city in coming 15-20 Years.