Sambalpur begins Rs 55 crore water pipeline upgrade
SAMBALPUR: After years of recurring waterborne disease outbreaks and mounting public pressure, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is set to begin major infrastructure upgrade to replace 55 kilometres of outdated and damaged drinking water supply pipelines across the city.
This massive project, awarded to Bhubaneswar-based Shivjyoti Conpro Pvt Ltd, will be completed within 18 months at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. The most critically damaged pipelines will be replaced in the first phase within six months.
This step comes after five jaundice outbreaks since 2014, with the most recent occurring after Sital Sasthi last year, affecting over 150 people. The outbreaks were linked to contaminated water supply caused by pipelines running through open drains, allowing sewage to seep into drinking water lines.
In 2014, the then chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a complete overhaul of the system, but only partial work was carried out in selected areas, leaving the system vulnerable for nearly a decade.
General manager, WATCO, Brahmeshwar Das said, 'The project will be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. In the initial phase, pipelines in the worst condition will be replaced within six months. The overall target is to complete the entire 55-kilometre stretch within 18 months.' WATCO officials said the project will also expand water supply to under-served areas like Balaji colony and Marutivihar with 18,000 new household connections planned, while 8,000 is to be done in first phase. Additionally, two new treatment plants with a combined capacity of 100 MLD are proposed at Ainthapali (65 MLD) and near Sambalpur University (35 MLD).
City health officials say diarrhoea, jaundice, and hepatitis remain endemic in parts of Sambalpur during monsoon. The project is expected to significantly reduce the city's vulnerability to waterborne diseases and improve health outcomes for thousands of residents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Former England fast bowler David Lawrence dead at 61
David 'Syd' Lawrence, the first British-born black cricketer to play for England, has died at the age of 61, it was announced Sunday. Nearly a year ago it was revealed that Gloucestershire fast bowler Lawrence, who took 18 wickets in five Tests between 1988 and 1992, had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, an incurable illness, which progressively damages parts of the nervous system. A statement from Lawrence's family given to Britain's PA news agency said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE following his brave battle with motor neurone disease." Lawrence bagged a five-wicket haul against the West Indies in 1991 to help England seal a series-levelling win at the Oval, with Desmond Haynes and Vivian Richards among the batsmen he dismissed. But his career all but ended the following year with a sickening injury when he shattered his kneecap running into bowl during a Test against New Zealand in Wellington. That was the end of his time with England, although he made a brief comeback for Bristol-based Gloucestershire, playing four four-first class games in 1997 before retiring for good after taking 625 wickets for the county. He later became president of Gloucestershire, with his old county saying in a social media post Sunday that they were "devastated" to learn of Lawrence's death. Following his MND diagnosis, there were emotional scenes when Gloucestershire won the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston last year, with captain James Bracey presenting the trophy to Lawrence. His MND diagnosis also hastened Lawrence's autobiography amid fears he would lose the ability to speak. Titled 'In Syd's Voice', and written with the help of cricket journalist Dean Wilson, the book was published this month. England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson hailed Lawrence as a "true trailblazer" who became a "powerful voice for inclusion and representation in our sport". There was a minute's applause in honour of Lawrence before the start of the third day's play in the first Test between England and India at Headingley on Sunday, with players and officials also wearing black armbands as a mark of respect. MND - MONTAGNE & NEIGE DEVELOPPEMENT
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Sambalpur begins Rs 55 crore water pipeline upgrade
SAMBALPUR: After years of recurring waterborne disease outbreaks and mounting public pressure, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is set to begin major infrastructure upgrade to replace 55 kilometres of outdated and damaged drinking water supply pipelines across the city. This massive project, awarded to Bhubaneswar-based Shivjyoti Conpro Pvt Ltd, will be completed within 18 months at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. The most critically damaged pipelines will be replaced in the first phase within six months. This step comes after five jaundice outbreaks since 2014, with the most recent occurring after Sital Sasthi last year, affecting over 150 people. The outbreaks were linked to contaminated water supply caused by pipelines running through open drains, allowing sewage to seep into drinking water lines. In 2014, the then chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a complete overhaul of the system, but only partial work was carried out in selected areas, leaving the system vulnerable for nearly a decade. General manager, WATCO, Brahmeshwar Das said, 'The project will be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. In the initial phase, pipelines in the worst condition will be replaced within six months. The overall target is to complete the entire 55-kilometre stretch within 18 months.' WATCO officials said the project will also expand water supply to under-served areas like Balaji colony and Marutivihar with 18,000 new household connections planned, while 8,000 is to be done in first phase. Additionally, two new treatment plants with a combined capacity of 100 MLD are proposed at Ainthapali (65 MLD) and near Sambalpur University (35 MLD). City health officials say diarrhoea, jaundice, and hepatitis remain endemic in parts of Sambalpur during monsoon. The project is expected to significantly reduce the city's vulnerability to waterborne diseases and improve health outcomes for thousands of residents.
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Harvard doctor's simple tip can boost your happiness in one minute. A startup CEO is already practicing it
iStock Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha proved that one-minute chats with strangers can boost happiness, echoing a University of Chicago study. In a parallel tale, startup CEO Harsh Pokharna found the same truth during spontaneous meetups in Jaipur, reinforcing that real connection starts offline. (Representational image: iStock) It wasn't a research lab or a stethoscope that Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha turned to recently—it was the simple, brave act of chatting with strangers while waiting in line. A physician, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and the Ask a Doctor columnist for The Washington Post, Dr. Pasricha tested a charming scientific theory on the bustling platforms of Boston's Green Line: that one-minute conversations with strangers can actually make you happier. 'It is scientifically proven that you can boost your happiness in one minute by talking to a stranger,' she began in a video she shared on Instagram, proceeding to engage unsuspecting commuters in playful and warm exchanges. Whether she was joking about being a Celtics fan or asking if someone wanted to be a pediatrician, the result was almost always the same—people smiled, talked, and lingered in conversations they hadn't planned for. The experiment wasn't just a cute social video. It was rooted in evidence. According to Dr. Pasricha, several studies, including one from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in 2014, showed that people who spoke to strangers during their daily commute felt more positive afterward—even though they originally assumed their fellow travelers wouldn't be interested. 'I had a great time,' Dr. Pasricha said, visibly moved by the simplicity of connection. 'Most people were down to just keep talking for minutes and minutes on end.' Interestingly, this scientific truth found a surprising echo in the world of tech entrepreneurship. Harsh Pokharna, the CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur alumnus, unintentionally embarked on a social experiment of his own. During a break in his hometown Jaipur, Pokharna posted a casual Instagram story inviting people to hang out. What began as boredom soon turned into an unexpectedly fulfilling journey of human connection. From random DMs to heartfelt discussions about therapy, dating, and dreams, Pokharna's days became filled with spontaneous meetups that mirrored the spirit of Pasricha's scientific adventure. 'There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection,' Pokharna noted, as he sipped coffee, played badminton, and took walks with strangers who soon felt like old friends. Both Pasricha and Pokharna's experiences—one rooted in medical science, the other in lived curiosity—prove the same point: in an era dominated by curated lives and digital walls, the art of spontaneous conversation is a quiet rebellion. It's free, it's freeing, and it might just be the one-minute happiness hack we all need. Pasricha's dare at the end of her video is more than an Instagram caption—'I dare you to try this with a stranger today'—it's an invitation to revive something ancient and humane: unfiltered, real-world connection. For a society struggling with loneliness, digital fatigue, and emotional burnout, it may be time to treat these micro-interactions not as throwaway moments, but as therapeutic encounters. Both the doctor and the startup CEO, from Harvard labs to Jaipur streets, remind us that wellness isn't always found in a prescription bottle or a productivity app. Sometimes, it's waiting in line with a stranger, ready to say hello. ( Originally published on Jun 19, 2025 )
