The Calcutta Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Authority (CMWSA) project is expected to be ready in a year and a half.

Jamshedpur Utility Service Company will execute the project with funds sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, said a CMWSA official. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 140 crore, with an initial allotment of Rs 30 crore to begin work.

"We have finished soil testing. Piling will start shortly," said N. De, the officer on special duty.

After completion, Jamshedpur Utility Service Company will hand over the plant to the CMWSA, which will be responsible for its operations and maintenance.

The chairman of borough XIII, Ratna Sur, termed the project "a boon" for residents of the area. "There is an acute scarcity of water in summer. We hope the problem will be solved after the plant is commissioned."

She said the pumping stations at Siriti and Daspara, built with funds provided under the urban renewal mission, had not served their purpose. "Garden Reach water works was supposed to benefit residents of Behala, Thakurpukur and the adjacent areas, but that hasn't happened as water from the plant is supplied to Ballygunge and Tollygunge," she complained.