CHANDIGARH: The project management consultant (PMC) on the Amritsar Sewerage Project has completed the detailed survey of the town with the help of satellite imagery and field survey.

Disclosing this here Local Government Minister said that the PMC has presented a copy of the report to him here . As per the project report Amritsar town has been divided into three zones i.e. North, South and South East. Detailed design of South and South-East.

Detailed design of South zone has been completed by the PMC and design of North zone is at the final stage. For setting up three sewage treatment plants, identification of the sites has been done and technology selection is in process.

Pre-qualification documents for construction of sewers have been submitted to Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) for approval.

Tender documents for the construction of sewer are under preparation and will be submitted to JICA shortly. The construction is expected to start early next year and will be completed by December 2011.

The project was sanctioned by JICA for Rs. 360Cr. Which was to be financed through JICA loan of Rs. 276 crore and Government of Punjab and Municipal Corporation Amrtisar contribution of Rs. 84 crore. Revised project cost as per detailed study is around Rs. 490 crore. Due to fluctuation in exchange rate between rupee and Japanese Yen, the loan component from JICA has provided relief of Rs. 72 crore shall cover part of the increase of cost.

Delegation of Japanese and other International experts recently visited the Hon. Minister of Urban Development Manoranjan Kalia and apprised him of the Amritsar Sewerage Project.

The Minister proposed that funds available from JICA loan and Government of Punjab/MCA assistance be utilized for providing sewerage facilities in the North and South zone, which covers the walled city and other densely populated areas of Amritsar. He also proposed that a project that a costing Rs. 61 crore for the South-East zone be submitted to Government of India for financing under the ongoing JNNURM scheme.

Tekechi Director (Overseas Operations) of Tokyo Engineering Consultants explained the projects feature in detail and also discussed the importance of the project.

The main features of the Amritsar Sewerage project were described as follows:

Total 24 lac population benefiting from the project, 100% coverage of sewerage system in two phases, over 50,000 house connection, new high technology sewage treatment plants, Reuse of treated effluent for water conservation, improvement of community awareness towards sanitation, improvements to the environment and public health of the urban poor and institutional management and operations improvement.

The visiting team comprising Akira Takechi Director Overseas Department, Tokyo Engineering Consultants, Japan, Charies kretch and Ajay Singh Represented the JICA appointed Project Management Consultant team for the project, Principle Secretary Local Government D.S. Bains and Punjab water supply and Sewerage Board officials were present during the meeting.