B.Sridhar | TNNJamshedpur: The Mango Municipal Corporation (MMC) has commenced a major drinking water supply project aimed at providing clean tap water to more than 1,800 consumers within its jurisdiction. The Rs 13.5 crore project got underway with the laying of underground pipelines in Jaipal Singh Colony along National Highway-33 (NH-33) on Monday evening. The initiative forms a crucial component of the Mango Urban Water Supply Scheme Phase-II, Part-B, officials said.According to officials, the pipeline-laying work is expected to be completed by the end of August. Once finished, the new network will be connected to the main grid to ensure a regular supply of clean drinking water to residents.As part of the project, an overhead water tank with a storage capacity of 17.5 lakh litres will be constructed at Baliguma along NH-33. The facility will cater to consumers residing along the Baliguma-Bhilai Pahari-Dimna stretch.MMC mayor Sudha Gupta said the project is being executed by a private agency Gemini Enterprises and that groundwork commenced on Monday.“I personally visited the project site for inspection and have instructed the agency officials to ensure that the work is completed within the stipulated time frame,” Gupta said.She added that the project will be monitored regularly to ensure there is no compromise on the quality of work.The mayor noted that the project had been delayed for a long time due to technical and administrative challenges, particularly those related to finalising the NH-33 pipeline alignment and coordinating with various departments.“Through continuous efforts, effective coordination and the support of public representatives, all these issues have now been resolved, allowing the project to finally take off,” Gupta said.Describing it as a long-awaited and significant initiative for Mango, Gupta said once the Part-B distribution network is integrated with the primary water treatment infrastructure, it will permanently resolve the problems of low water pressure and erratic supply affecting several wards under the corporation’s jurisdiction.