Patna: Patna is set for an expansion of its drinking water infrastructure, with Ganga water to be stored in 56 ‘jal minars’ (water reservoirs) and supplied to households through a 1,200-km pipeline network under a project estimated to cost around Rs1,500 crore.The project is being executed by the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Buidco) under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) 2.0 scheme. It will include two water treatment plants and three pumping stations. One treatment plant is planned near Kangan Ghat and the other in Danapur diara. The plants will treat water drawn from the Ganga before it is distributed across different parts of the city.According to the project plan, the new network will supply water to around 45 locations. Eleven existing reservoirs will also be connected to the Ganga-based water supply system, according to officials.The proposed system is designed to provide 155.25 litres of water per person per day. Officials have projected that Patna’s daily water requirement will rise to around 406.259 million litres per day (MLD) by 2029 and nearly 478.899 MLD by 2044. The new infrastructure is being planned to cater to the projected increase in demand.The project also includes construction of 57 new water ponds, with land acquisition required at several locations. According to the plan, land is available at seven of the eight identified locations for the proposed treatment facilities, while five of the 10 locations identified for ponds have sufficient land.The tender for the project is expected to be floated next month, with completion targeted for 2029. Once completed, the system is expected to improve Patna’s existing drinking water infrastructure and increase the availability of treated Ganga water.
