Date:23/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/23/stories/2007122357610300.htm

New Delhi

127 illegal colonies to get piped water by March

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Laying the foundation stone for an underground reservoir in the Capital on Saturday, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said residents of 127 unauthorised colonies would get water pipelines by March 2008.

She also declared that by 2009 her Government would have constructed 52 underground reservoirs in the city to strengthen the existing water supply system.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation for construction of a 15.4 million litre capacity underground reservoir near Ramlila Maidan, which is expected to provide relief to about two lakh people living on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Minto Road, Matia Mahal and adjoining areas.

“This underground reservoir will take 15 months to complete and Rs.12 crore has been set aside for the project. Of the 28 underground reservoirs that come under Sonia Vihar’s command, 17 have been constructed and another three will be ready within a month. Work on the other 25 underground reservoirs is also gaining speed and we will have seven to eight of them ready by the middle of 2008,” said Delhi Jal Board Chief Executive Officer Arun Mathur.

Mr. Mathur said all the 52 underground reservoirs would be ready before 2010. “We are busy negotiating with the DDA for procuring land for the construction of the remaining reservoirs.” Among those present were Union MinisterKapil Sibal and MLAs Tajdar Babbar and Anjali Rai.