Agra’s Yamuna belt gets major relief; 55,000 homes to receive clean drinking water

Agra (UP), Nov 11 (PTI) With a view to resolve the long-standing drinking water crisis in the areas nearby the Yamuna river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam has begun constructing a massive 85 million litres per day (MLD) intake well in the Yamuna at Poiyia Ghat, along with a 55 MLD Water Treatment Plant (WTP), an official statement issued here on Tuesday said.

Once operational, this project will ensure a morning and evening supply of treated Yamuna water to 55,000 households in the region, the statement added.

Under the project, an 85 MLD intake well will be set up in the Yamuna near Poiyia Ghat towards Khandouli.

The structure will sit 3 to 7 metres inside the river, depending on suitable soil conditions. Jal Nigam teams have already started soil sampling and will begin structural work where the strata are strongest, it said.

Only half a kilometre away from the intake point, a 55 MLD WTP will also be built, the statement said.

Raw water will be pumped directly from the intake well to the plant, treated, and then supplied as clean drinking water to Yamuna-side colonies, it read.

To complete the project on schedule, Jal Nigam has fast-tracked the laying of a 231-kilometre pipeline, with household connections being installed in parallel.

The target is to complete the project within one-and-a-half years, after which residents will no longer depend on tanker water or face seasonal shortages, it said.

Several newer localities on the Yamuna belt have suffered severe shortages due to a lack of pipeline networks, especially in summer.

Residents were forced to rely on private tanker suppliers, who often overcharged. Complaints flooded the civic body and the District Collectorate on a daily basis.

Taking note, the Uttar Pradesh government launched this new Drinking Water Scheme (Phase I and II) to eliminate the crisis permanently, the statement said.

Divisional Commissioner Shailendra Singh said the government is committed to delivering basic civic amenities and improving the quality of life for every citizen.

He said that the progress of this major water-supply project, covering 55,000 homes, is reviewed every week to ensure speedy completion.

The large-scale drinking water project will directly benefit key Yamuna-side localities, including: Trans Yamuna Colony Phase I & II, Foundry Nagar, Shahdara, Raj Nagar, Sita Nagar, Nagla Ramdas, Kalindi Vihar, Kachhpura, and several surrounding areas. PTI ABN ABN APL APL