Ongoing Schemes under Rural and Urban Water Supply Programme as on 1.4.2006: Introduction

Introduction

The Public Health Engineering Department is responsible for providing adequate safe water supply in the rural and urban areas of the State.

At the Directorate level, the Department is headed by the Chief Engineer, PHE, assisted by four Additional Chief Engineers (PHE): Zone-I, Shillong; Zone-II, Tura; Zone-III, Shillong; and the Sanitation Cell, Shillong.

• Zone-I comprises the Greater Shillong Circle and the Electrical Circle, Shillong. The Additional Chief Engineer, Zone-I looks after the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme and the other schemes under these circles.
• Zone-II covers the three districts of Garo Hills. The Additional Chief Engineer, Zone-II, Tura looks after the urban and rural schemes of the Tura Circle, covering the whole of Garo Hills.
• Zone-III covers the Rural Circle, Shillong: Ri-Bhoi, West Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills districts and the rest of East Khasi Hills.
• The Sanitation Cell looks after the implementation of the Sanitation Programme, apart from other works.

At the field level there are six circles, each headed by a Superintending Engineer:

1. Rural Circle, Shillong
2. Tura Circle, Tura
3. Greater Shillong Circle, Shillong
4. Electrical Circle, Shillong
5. Williamnagar Circle (newly created)
6. Western Circle, Nongstoin (newly created)

There are 17 divisions throughout the State, with at least one division in each district.

Rural Water Supply Programme

PHED takes up rural water supply projects to provide drinking water facilities in rural areas of the State. Safe drinking water supply is included under the 20-point programme, and targets are fixed for coverage of habitations. Projects are taken up for Not Covered (NC), Partially Covered (PC) and iron-affected habitations as per the 1994 survey, for renovation/reconstruction of schemes implemented more than 15 years ago, for improvement of existing facilities, and for sustainability of drinking water sources.

The Rural Water Supply Programme is taken up under two programmes:

• Central Sector Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP)
• State Sector Rural Water Supply Programme / Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) / Bharat Nirman Programme, earlier called the Minimum Needs Programme

1. Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP)

Under this programme, schemes are taken up for coverage of Not Covered (NC) and Partially Covered (PC) habitations with the yearly release of funds. It is funded 100% by the Government of India. Water supply to rural schools and ICDS centres can also be taken up under the programme, shared 50:50 by the Central and State Governments. Up to 15% of the ARWSP allocation may be used to provide safe water to habitations with quality problems (excess iron in drinking water) under the Sub-Mission Programme, and 5% for projects for sustainability of sources.

Projects to provide safe drinking water in quality-affected habitations (to tackle excess iron) are taken up under the Sub-Mission Programme, funded 75:25 by the Central and State Governments. Before 1.4.98, projects were approved by the Government of India, which released the central share directly. Since 1.4.98, power to sanction sub-mission projects has been delegated to the State, and the central share for these schemes is met from the normal ARWSP release (up to 15% of ARWSP funds, as above).

Power to sanction schemes under ARWSP has been delegated to the State. From 2003-04 onwards, these schemes are sanctioned by the State Water Supply and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), headed by the Chief Secretary. Earlier, schemes were sanctioned by the State Level Advisory Board (SLAB), headed by the Chief Secretary, after clearance by the Scientific Source Finding Committee (SFC) at the State level, headed by the Commissioner and Secretary (PHE), with the Officer in charge of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) as Member Secretary.

The ARWSP allocation varies from year to year. For 2005-06 the allocation was Rs. 3,583.00 lakh, of which the Government of India released Rs. 3,222.95 lakh. With the unspent balance of Rs. 784.11 lakh as on 1.4.05, the actual availability was Rs. 4,007.06 lakh. For 2006-07, the allocation is fixed at Rs. 38.93 crore.

2. State Sector Rural Water Supply Programme / PMGY / Bharat Nirman Programme

Projects for NC, PC and iron-affected habitations also have to be taken up under the State Sector Rural Water Supply Programme (PMGY), as safe drinking water supply is included under the 20-point programme and targets are fixed for coverage of habitations. Since projects under ARWSP are restricted to the parameters above and ARWSP funds are limited, projects for renovation/improvement of existing schemes have to be taken up under the State sector only. In addition, a matching State share has to be provided to avail the benefit of ARWSP.

In past years, several water supply schemes had to be taken up in different villages because of the disproportionate increase in population. Large-scale deforestation, before the ban imposed by the Supreme Court, also reduced the discharge of many water sources, and some sources dried up altogether, which made a number of reconstruction/renovation schemes necessary. Many schemes implemented earlier have become non-functional or partially functional due to theft, damage by wild elephants and inter-village rivalry, so habitations have moved from Fully Covered (FC) to Partially Covered (PC) or even Not Covered (NC). New habitations have also come up. Schemes are taken up for all of these, so the burden on the State Plan for rural drinking water projects is quite high.

The funds available under the State Plan vary from year to year: Rs. 36.20 crore in 2005-06, and a tentative allocation of Rs. 35.00 crore for 2006-07.

Types of Rural Water Supply Schemes

The types of water supply schemes implemented by the Department are:

1. Ring well
2. Spring tapped chamber
3. Deep tube well (DTW) with India Mark-II hand pump
4. DTW with power pump
5. Gravity feed water supply scheme
6. Pumping schemes, with diesel or electricity, from a river or stream source

Schemes are implemented giving preference in the order above, to keep them economically viable.

The sanctioned projects are priority projects, so execution of all of them was taken up immediately after sanction. However, with limited State Plan resources, it is not possible to provide enough funds to complete all the schemes.

Implementation of 3 Programmes of the Prime Minister

During 2003-04, the Prime Minister of India launched a programme for (1) installing one lakh hand pumps in water-scarce rural areas, (2) providing water supply in one lakh rural primary schools, and (3) reviving one lakh traditional sources of drinking water across the country. 90% of the cost is borne by the Government of India and 10% by the beneficiaries; for SC/ST-dominated habitations and schools, the beneficiary contribution is 5%.

Schemes were taken up for hand pumps in water-scarce areas, drinking water supply to schools and revival of traditional sources. As per Government of India policy, no new schemes have been taken up under the programme since 2005-06.

Urban Water Supply Programme

All the urban centres of the State have water supply. To augment the supply, schemes are taken up under three programmes.

1. State Plan

The major schemes under implementation in the urban sector are:

Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS)

The scheme was taken up in two phases. Phase-I was completed in the mid-1980s. For Phase-II, all major works are complete except testing of some distribution lines in the Malki and Motinagar area, commissioning of the 3.8 MGD treatment plants and some other minor works. Supply in the capital city will increase with the completion of the scheme and the replacement of the pumping machinery at the 2nd stage pumping stations.

The project was executed with limited State Plan resources, apart from a one-time LIC loan of Rs. 250.00 lakh received in 1982-83, so the desired progress could not be made in earlier years. In 1998-99, the scheme was included for financing under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), and Rs. 3,579.00 lakh was received under the Central Pool for the scheme (mainly the dam) and utilised. The remaining funds were provided from State Plan resources.

Modification of pumping machinery and replacement of treatment units of GSWSS

The estimate was administratively approved for Rs. 1,866.42 lakh during 2004-05. The scheme covers:

• Replacement of the pumps of the second stage pumping system.
• Installation of VVVF (variable voltage variable frequency) drives, which keep output voltage and frequency stable and so control the flow of water during pumping. High variation in frequency harms the machinery and reduced the efficiency of the pumping system; because of it, the system could not deliver water to the treatment plant, and three-stage pumping was introduced. With the new drives, the third stage of pumping will be done away with, reducing energy and operation and maintenance costs in the long run.
• Modernisation of the power system: construction of a 33/6.6 kV sub-station, replacement of two 33/6.6 kV, 2.5 MVA transformers (which have been subject to heavy weathering), and replacement of current-carrying cables to supply power to the higher-capacity motors.
• Replacement of the existing manually operated valves with pneumatic valves (pneumatic cylinder and 3-point electrical signal), and replacement of the air compressor and various drives at the 7.5 MGD treatment plant.

There is also provision for complete automation, with a visualisation system for operating the different units of the plants. This will help operate the machinery correctly and give timely information on maintenance needs.

The Department is finalising the allotment of work for replacement of the pumping machinery of the second stage pumping system.

Replacement of pumping machinery of the 1st stage pumping stations of GSWSS

The first stage pumps and motors (6 in all) were procured in 1981 and put into operation in 1986 after completion of Phase-I. The design life of pumping machinery is 15 years; these pumps had been in operation for about 20 years and had outlived it. After running 24 hours a day since 1986, 2 of the pumps and motors became unserviceable through wear and tear, and the efficiency of the other 4 fell considerably, with frequent breakdowns. The work was entrusted to M/s Voltas and has since been completed.

The funds available under the urban sector (State Plan) vary from year to year. For 2005-06 the actual availability was Rs. 460.00 lakh. For 2006-07 the outlay has been tentatively fixed at Rs. 850.00 lakh, including Rs. 200.00 lakh as a loan component. The State share for centrally sponsored schemes is also provided from the urban sector allocation.

2. Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR)

Three schemes are currently funded by DoNER under NLCPR:

Tura Phase-III WSS

Tura Phase-I WSS was taken up in 1968 as a gravity feed scheme for an ultimate population of 50,000 and completed in 1972 at a total cost of Rs. 79.35 lakh. The discharge of the Rongkhon river, the source of Phase-I, started falling considerably and reached an all-time low in March 1978, causing an acute water crisis in Tura town. The Department then took up Tura Phase-II WSS in 1980, pumping water from the Ganol river to the existing Phase-I treatment plant, at a total cost of Rs. 2.28 crore. As the population grew and new localities came up without water supply, the Phase-II estimate was revised to cover all uncovered areas of Tura, and the revised estimate was sanctioned in 1984 at Rs. 4.82 crore, designed for an ultimate population of 87,827 by 1997.

Tura's population is growing fast, and 37 new localities have come up in and around new Tura without any water supply. The present population of Tura town, as certified by the Deputy Commissioner, Tura, is 90,501. Tura Phase-III WSS is proposed as a separate gravity scheme for the newly developed localities: it will cover 32,225 people, while the remaining 58,276 will continue to be served by Tura Phase-II WSS. Tura Phase-III WSS was sanctioned by the Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development, on 7.10.2002 for Rs. 2,160.24 lakh, funded under NLCPR. Work started in 2003-04 and is in good progress.

Jowai WSS

The original Phase-I water supply scheme for Jowai town was started in 1974 and commissioned in 1980 at a cost of Rs. 95.00 lakh. It pumps water from the Myntdu river, which flows beside the town, and was designed for an ultimate population of 39,000 by 2004. The existing treatment plant has a capacity of 1.50 MGD.

The Myntdu river has become highly polluted in recent years, as a number of stone quarries have come up upstream, and the sewage and sullage of the town, which the river surrounds, are discharged into it. There is a persistent demand for an alternative source for Jowai town. There are also substantial water losses from the distribution system, as buildings and roads have come up over most of the pipes, especially in congested areas, and most of the pipes have outlived their life. The design period of the existing scheme ended in 2004, so a new scheme is needed to meet the demand of the whole population.

To overcome these problems, an alternative river pumping scheme from the Umngot river was sanctioned by the Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development, on 25.10.2002 for Rs. 1,541.13 lakh, funded under NLCPR. Work on the project has started.

Mairang WSS

DoNER has recently included Mairang WSS for funding under NLCPR at an estimated cost of Rs. 806.56 lakh, and the first instalment of Rs. 231.53 lakh has been released. Work on the project will start during 2006-07.

3. Centrally sponsored Accelerated Urban Water Supply Programme (AUWSP)

Projects are taken up under this programme for towns with a population of less than 20,000 as per the 1991 Census, shared 50:50 by the Central and State Governments. Projects for two towns, Williamnagar and Baghmara, have been taken up so far.

The Williamnagar project was commissioned during 2004-05. It taps the Chibok river by gravity, 12 km from the existing treatment plant site, and treats the raw water at the existing plant; the treated water is pumped to zonal reservoirs and distributed by gravity. Earlier, water was pumped from the Simsang river with submersible pumps, and supply was frequently disrupted in the rainy season by high discharge and sediment. With the gravity feed scheme, this problem has been largely solved.

The Baghmara scheme is a river pumping scheme from the Simsang river, with a jack well, a vertical turbine pump, a 200 mm dia M.S. pumping main, a simplified water treatment plant, zonal reservoirs, distribution networks to different zones and other ancillary works. Work is progressing and the scheme is expected to be completed by March 2007.

Improvement of Municipal Sources

The scheme was framed to improve the quality of water from the municipal and non-municipal sources supplying parts of Shillong and to integrate these sources with GSWSS, so that treated and untreated water are not mixed and all the people of Shillong receive water of uniform quality. The project cost is Rs. 477.34 lakh, covering both municipal and non-municipal sources. The Government of India has sanctioned Phase-I of the project, covering only the municipal sources, at a cost of Rs. 384.19 lakh under the Central Pool of Resources, funded 90:10 by the Central and State Governments.

Urban Water Supply Programme: Position as on 31-03-2006

Six schemes are under implementation under the State sector Urban Water Supply Programme. In addition, the State share for two centrally sponsored schemes has to be provided from the State Plan. The amount required to complete these ongoing schemes is Rs. 18.39 crore.

Under NLCPR, there are three ongoing projects: Tura Phase-III WSS, Jowai WSS and Mairang WSS, funded by DoNER (Department for Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India). Up to March 2006, DoNER has released Rs. 1,582.28 lakh for Tura Phase-III WSS, Rs. 430.00 lakh for Jowai WSS and Rs. 231.53 lakh for Mairang WSS. Against this, expenditure up to March 2006 is Rs. 15.82 crore for Tura and Rs. 1.83 crore for Jowai. Tura Phase-III WSS is about 40% complete, work on Jowai WSS started recently, and work on Mairang WSS will start during 2006-07.

Under the centrally sponsored AUWSP, there is one ongoing scheme, Baghmara WSS, on which work is in progress.

Under the Central Pool, the scheme for improvement of municipal sources is in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2006. Rs. 345.77 lakh has been released to the PHE Department so far. Physical progress of the different sources:

Conclusion

It is the endeavour of the Department to complete all schemes within the scheduled time. However, due to shortage of funds and other reasons such as theft, disputes over land/source, inter-village rivalry and delays in completing work, implementation of schemes is sometimes delayed. The system of reviewing and monitoring the implementation of schemes has been strengthened. PHED will make every effort to provide adequate safe water supply from the schemes to the intended population within the scheduled time of completion.