16 , May , 2020
New Delhi: Following the relaxations provided in lockdown-3, about 229 mega water and sewer projects worth Rs. 20,000 crore have been restarted in 11 states. Urban affairs ministry statistics showed Maharashtra restarted maximum such projects. As per the relaxation rules construction work was allowed with social distancing norms and standard operating procedures which included setting up of proper residential camps and quarantining labourers for 14 days at the work site before beginning work. The ministry prioritised works under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which aims to provide water and sewer connection to every household in 500 cities.
Most of the projects resumed under AMRUT are in green zone towns and cities. Maharashtra government restarted 63 projects worth Rs. 6,783 crore. Most projects have been started in districts with fewer cases, including Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Beed and Dhule. Kerala, which has only 65 active Covid-19 cases, has started 52 projects worth Rs. 276 crore. Madhya Pradesh, where the confirmed Covid-19 cases have increased to 4,426, has also started 49 projects worth Rs. 4,338 crore.
Bhopal restarted a sewerage network and sewage treatment plant for Kolar and nearby Salaiya town. Chhattisgarh has also restarted 24 projects worth Rs. 1,444 crore. These include projects across the state in Raipur, Durg, Raigarh, Ambikapur, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur and Bhillai Nagar.
