Shillong, May 8: PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak has said the revised Rs 772.96 crore estimate for the New Shillong Township Water Supply Scheme (Phase-1) was unavoidable after a proposed landfill near the original dam site at Nonghali Village forced major design changes.
In a note detailing the 43.55% cost escalation from the earlier Rs 538.44 crore, Marak said the project’s scope had expanded significantly.
“The originally proposed dam site has been shifted further upstream after it was learned that a landfill is also proposed in the vicinity of the originally proposed dam at Nonghali Village. This shift has resulted in an increase in the span of the dam from 70 m to 165 m, and in the number of radial gates from one to three,” he stated.
The Minister said the relocation had a cascading impact on other components. “The upstream shift of the dam has also resulted in the relocation of the jack well, where the local topography around the jack well periphery necessitates additional excavation, earthwork, soil stabilization, etc,” he said.
He flagged fresh compensation demands from local bodies that were not in the original plan. “Initially, there was no demand from the community/local Dorbar Shnongs for compensation for laying the raw water pumping pipelines across customary lands. However, at present, there is a demand for compensation for the same,” Marak said.
A dedicated power supply, missed in the first DPR, has also been added.
“This requirement was not captured in the original DPR, and the provision of independent power infrastructure has now become mandatory for system reliability and efficiency. However, the provision for this component will be reviewed again,” he noted.
Road works have also increased due to the dam shift. “Approximately 1.5 km of the existing PWD road must be dismantled and excavated for pipeline laying due to a change in the alignment of the pumping main at Jaroit Village and Diengpasoh Village. This is unavoidable as a result of the change in the dam site,” the Minister said.
Marak said the cumulative impact of these changes made the original budget unviable. “These changes have substantially increased civil, Mechanical and Electrical components including land compensation costs rendering the originally sanctioned estimate inadequate,” he stated.
He added that the revised estimate was essential to “ensure environmental safety by avoiding proximity to landfill sites, achieve structural and hydraulic safety of the dam and jackwell, maintain community cooperation through fair compensation, guarantee dedicated and reliable power supply for critical infrastructure for uninterrupted water supply, and restore public assets affected during pipeline construction.”
The scheme aims to supply 135 LPCD of potable water to New Shillong Township, Mawkhanu Knowledge City and 32 adjoining villages, with coverage projected up to 2057.
