The University of Calicut will soon write to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to immediately start work on shifting its water pipelines for expansion of National Highway-17 (NH-17).
New pipelines will have to be installed from Parakkadavu to the university campus area, which will cost around ₹8.06 crore. The amount will be handed over to the NHAI as soon as it is allocated to the university. The decisions were taken at a meeting convened by Vice Chancellor M.K. Jayaraj on Wednesday.
A report by the Accountant General had recently said that the cost of shifting pipelines was not included in the detailed project report (DPR) for road widening prepared by the project director, NHAI, Kozhikode. According to a circular by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, shifting of exclusive lines is the responsibility of the institution, if compensation was paid. An amount of ₹19.3 crore was required for the restoration work, according to an estimate prepared by the Superintending Engineer, Kerala Water Authority, Kozhikode. “Neither the compensation was received by the university nor the amount was included in the DPR. The university will incur an extra liability of ₹19.3 crore,” the report had said.
Water is being pumped from the Kadalundi river at Parakkadavu to the booster pump house near Padikkal, and from there to the tank on the campus for treatment. The road-widening will lead to demolition of the booster pump house and removal of all underground pipelines. New pipelines will have to be laid on a 10-km-long route, a release from the university said.
