Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Water Supply

Secunder­abad Cantonment Board looks to slash water charges

Thursday, 23 January 2014 10:53 administrator
Print PDF

Deccan Chronicle             23.01.2014 

Secunder­abad Cantonment Board looks to slash water charges

Hyderabad: Residents of the Secunder­abad Cantonment Board can hope for reduced water bills in the near future.

Brigadier Sunil Bodhe, the SCB president,  has asked officials to examine the possibility of reducing the water charges for the common man.

Referring to the free water supply scheme being offered by the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, Brigadier Bodhe asked officials on Wednesday to constitute a committee comprising officials and elected ward members to study and suggest the possibility of reducing the water bill charges which is Rs 315 per month for domestic category consumers.

He said it should not be viewed as a move ahead of the elections and added that all state governments were trying to reduce the financial burden of the common man and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board too should not lag behind.

When officials informed that the Cantonment Board was struggling to pay over Rs 50 crore arrears to the Water Board towards connection charges and water bill dues, and that a majority of people living in slums did not pay their water bills regularly, Brigadier Sunil Bodhe said these suggestions and recommendations could be made in the report to be submitted by the committee that was to be constituted.

As on date, the monthly water bill of SCB being paid to the Water Board towards bulk supplies is Rs 1.20 crore per month. Revenues from bill collection is Rs 1.27 crore per month.

“It may not be possible to reduce water charges in the near future as the financial position of the Board is not vibrant and there are still thousands of illegal water connections that have to be brought in the database of the Cantonment. However, in compliance with the Board president’s directions, we will examine the possibility of reducing the water charges in future and a detailed report will be submitted to him,” said Secunderabad Cantonment Board chief executive officer Sujatha Gupta.

 

Water dues: SCB to pay Rs. 2 cr. part payment

Thursday, 23 January 2014 10:10 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu             23.01.2014 

Water dues: SCB to pay Rs. 2 cr. part payment

Staff Reporter

Board owes Rs. 32.61 crore to HMWSSB

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has finally agreed to make part payment of Rs. 2 crore out of the Rs. 32.61 crore accumulated arrears payable to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Of the Rs.32.61 crore, Rs. 24 crore was outstanding dues and the rest is interest on the same amount.

It has also decided to pay Rs. 4.33 crore connection charges towards water supply from Hasmathpet and Gunrock Village pump houses. The SCB needs to pay another Rs. 9.73 crore for commencement of water supply of eight lakh gallons per day from Karkhana reservoir.

The HMWSSB has recently demanded that the SCB pay Rs.32.61 crore within six months promising to freeze the amount without levying further interest on the existing arrears.

At a special board meeting on Wednesday, members observed that clearing such a huge amount within six months was tough and agreed to make part payment.

“It was decided to request the HMWSSB to permit six months for paying the rest of the dues,” said SCB Chief Executive Officer Sujatha Gupta. HMWSSB is presently collecting about Rs.1.27 crore as monthly bill from SCB charging Rs.13.50 per kilolitre.

A request is being made to the government to offer concession for water supplied to slums, she said. SCB is allotting unique consumer numbers to all consumers and install water meters. About 5,000 water meters are to be installed in Bolarum shortly as a pilot project, she explained.

 

Coastal towns to get UGD, water supply projects

Thursday, 23 January 2014 09:35 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu             23.01.2014 

Coastal towns to get UGD, water supply projects

The government has proposed to take up underground drainage and drinking water supply projects costing over Rs. 100 crore in five towns in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

The projects would be implemented through the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) with funding from both Union and State governments. The funds from the Union government would be drawn under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns. The Union government would bear 80 per cent of the project cost under this scheme. The balance 20 per cent amount would be equally shared by the State government and the local urban body concerned.

Kundapur and Moodbidri towns have been selected for UGD projects and Bantwal has been chosen for implementing water supply project with funds under the Central scheme. Both the UGD and drinking water supply projects would be implemented using the State government funds at temple towns of Kateel and Kollur.

Centre-funded projects

L.N. Anand, Executive Engineer, KUWSDB, Mangalore Division, said the State-level sanction committee has approved a Rs. 48.14-crore underground drainage project for Kundapur town. The project was now awaiting formal approval from the Union government.

A Rs. 57.57-crore UGD project proposed for Moodbidri town, cleared by the same committee, was also awaiting the formal approval from the Union government. Of the 29 acres sought by the KUWSDB for implementing the project in Moodbidri, preliminary notification had been issued to acquire 23 acres.

He said the Union government has approved a Rs. 42-crore drinking water supply project for Bantwal town. The water would be drawn from the Nethravati.

State funded projects

He said the Board had sent the Muzarai department a Rs. 7.1-crore UGD project and a Rs. 8.65-crore drinking water supply project for implementation in Kateel town. Water would be lifted from the Nandini.

In addition, it has sent the Muzarai department a Rs. 11.52-crore UGD project for Kollur town. The Board has suggested two options for taking a water supply project for Kollur – supplying water by building a vented dam across the Souparnika, which would cost Rs. 21 crore, and without a dam, to cost Rs. 9.2 crore.

Mr. Anand said the Board was now preparing estimates for supplying drinking water to Sullia and Saligrama towns, from Kavadi Hole and the Payaswini respectively.

He said the ongoing Rs. 17-crore UGD project and the Rs. 8.6-crore water supply project in Kukke Subrahmanya were slated for completion by the end of March 2015.

 
More Articles...


Page 20 of 414