Smart city project date extended

One of the initiatives under the Smart City Mission — the Surface Water Project — continues to move at a sluggish pace even five years after its commencement. Despite repeated assurances and multiple deadline extensions, the project still appears unlikely to get completed by the revised target date of December 31, which was already extended from August.

The Rs 400-crore project, launched in 2020, aims to shift the city’s drinking water supply from groundwater to surface water in order to conserve groundwater resources and provide a 24×7 canal-based supply of clean, treated water. However, progress on the ground tells a different story.

So far, 57 km of the planned 97 km of mild steel underground pipelines have been laid. Officials earlier claimed that several factors have delayed the project, including workforce shortages during the period of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, when many migrant workers had returned to their home states.

In 2025 alone, the project’s deadline has been extended— first from March to August 15, then to December. Now, even the latest deadline appears uncertain, as work on several components is still incomplete.

At Jaganpur village in Adampur, a 275 MLD (million litres per day) water treatment plant is being constructed. While the civil work is reportedly complete, electrical installations are still pending. In addition, five water reservoirs are planned at Surya Enclave, Dhilwan, Model Town, Burlton Park and Focal Point, but construction at Surya Enclave is yet to begin.