Tala water tank to be revamped for 1st time

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon begin the renovation of the Tala tank, which is more than a century old and has the capacity to hold 9 million gallons of water. It is also the largest overhead reservoir in the world.

The Centre and the state government have sanctioned Rs 14.40 crore for work in the first phase, sources in the civic body’s water department said. The state government has allocated Rs 9.6 crore while the Centre sanctioned Rs 5.33 crore. The total budget for the renovation has been estimated to Rs 80 crore, of which the union government will bear 33 per cent.

“The tender process is already completed. Work will start soon,” a top official of the KMC’s water department said. The central funds have come under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. The total overhaul might take more than 28 months.

Two years ago, engineers had checked the Tala tank and had found as many as 20 small holes.

The tank had been set up by the British in the year 1909, and has been supplying water to the city since then. “In 2009, some minor repair work was undertaken. But now we are in the process of a total renovation,” the official said. The Tala tank is located on a seven bigha land and has a height of 110 feet.

When enquired  if water supply will be disrupted once the renovation work starts, the official said that the civic body will ensure that it does not happen. “There are four compartments in the tank. We will take up the compartments in phases. So we hope water supply will not be affected,” the official said.