Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed to implement smart city projects in Goa capital, has prepared a plan to lay common utility ducts across the city, which will also serve as universal walkways.
With this project, it is expected that the frequency of road digging will be reduced or put to an end. As per the concept, a common trench would be created for sewerage, water pipelines, optical fibre cables, electrical supply and the city gas network.
The Smart City Mission authorities issued an expression of interest (EOI) to select suppliers and prices for High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) ducts for various civic utilities. The EOI sought for the price quotations of the multi-channel HDPE ducts for optical fibre cables, electrical supply, pipes for water supply system and sewerage system.
As per reports, the Smart City Mission aims to lay a polyethylene gas piping system, but a final call is yet to be taken by the authorities.
According to the plan, common utility ducts will be covered and walkways will be created over the trench. A manhole will be kept at every 50 metres distance for maintenance and utility access.
Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri, CEO, IPSCDL was quoted as saying that once all the ducts are laid, agencies which want to lay their cables can use these ducts and pay revenue to the city. According to him, the authorities may face challenge in laying the ducts with the existing utilities laid across the city.
The challenges would be in terms of shifting the various pipelines, storm water drains, electricity cables, optical fibre cables, gas and telecom lines into the common utility ducts.
