No water from river linking project to industrial units, for now

Due to lack of infrastructure supply to take two years more

Though the Narmada-Kshipra river linking project has been completed within 14 months, its water to industrial town of Pithampur, new industrial areas that are likely to come up in proposed Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIDC) and other residential localities, is likely to take another two-and-a-half years.

"Construction of necessary infrastructure like distribution channels that will supply water to the industrial town and other proposed residential areas and nearby villages will come up only after two-and-a-half years," said a source in state government's industries department.

State government had assured Pithampur industrial areas to receive Narmada water supply by 2013. "As of now the Indore Audyogik KendraVikas Nigam still has to invite bids for appointing a consultant for the purpose and then the consultant will make bid documents. After that tenders will be floated to invite private partner for construction of necessary infrastructure. It will take nearly two-and-a-half year," the source said.

The project has allocated a total of 90 MLD (million liter per day) of water of which Pithampur will require approximately 30 MLD of water. As of now the Rs 434-crore project will feed water to Kshipra river for Simhastha 2016 through lifting of water from river to 348 meters from a village Sisiliya.

The project consumes 27 Mw of power during its three stages of lifting. The rest of the water will supply to new industrials areas that are likely to come up in Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow investment region proposed to cover an area of 370 sq km.

Currently, Sanjay Jalashay feeds Pithampur industrial area at Rs 26 per kiloliter while Narmada-Kshipra link water will be available at Rs 31 per kiloliter. "They should speed up the project, if efforts are made the water supply distribution network can be can be completed within a year," Gautam Kothari, president Pithampur Audyogik Sangthan said.

The project was inaugurated by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and BJP patriarch L K Advani in February this year. The project supplies only water to Dewas town and its industrial areas.