Sirsi: The work of laying a special pipeline to supply 24X7 drinking water to Sirsi town has begun and this is expected to ease the water problems here.
The work of joining the pipes and concretisation has gained pace near Huttagar. The estimated cost of the project taken up by the Urban Water Supply Board is Rs 38 crore and this special pipeline would be in addition to the pipeline supplying water from Kengre stream to Sirsi.
Therefore, iron pipes are being laid to carry water from the stream to the water storage unit which is around 8.26 km apart. Akhila Infra Pvt Ltd of Ballari which has bagged the contract has stocked the pipes for this purpose.
“Under this project, water from the river must constantly flow to the water storage unit through pipes. So to ensure that the iron rods do not catch rust, they are being covered with a layer of mortar. After the inner side of the pipes is layered with cement, the outer portion will also be layered,” said Supervisor Pradeep.
Once the mortar lining work is completed, three-feet deep canals will be dug on the route to lay these pipes. This work of joining the pipes will be completed by March last week and the water flow through this line is expected to begin by April last week, Pradeep added.
According to Sirsi City Municipal Council Commissioner Keshav Chougle, an additional jackwell is being constructed near the Kengre stream. Water lifted from there will be sent to the new overhead tanks being constructed at Gandhi Nagar, Namaj Gudda and Marathikoppa. From there, water to Sirsi will be supplied 24X7.
Water meter
Meanwhile, the work of fixing meters to 10,300 tap connections in Sirsi has been going on under the uninterrupted water supply scheme.
“Though the amount of water used varies from one house to another, the water tax collection was nearly uniform. But under the new scheme, meters will be fixed to the taps and this will show the exact amount of water utilised by each family. People have to pay water bills as per their utilisation. This will also check wastage of water,” added Commissioner Keshav Chougle.