The Hindu 19.10.2010
Master plan needed to improve infrastructure: MLA
Staff correspondent
Construction on five overhead tanks to store drinking water nearly complete
Rs. 85 crore approved to improve underground drainage system
Bijapur: Appasaheb Pattanshetty, MLA, has stressed the need to implement the master plan for the improvement of basic infrastructure and to bring about the overall development of the city.
Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Pattanshetty said the officers concerned had completed a survey of buildings for demolition as part of road-widening projects under the plan.
The work would begin in November. In the first phase, work on four main roads in the city would be taken up.
In order to improve the underground drainage system and come up with a permanent solution to the problem of rainwater accumulating in low-lying areas, a project worth Rs. 85 crore had been approved under the Asian Development Bank scheme, Mr. Pattanshetty said.
To improve the drinking water distribution system from Lokhar jackwell to Bijapur city, the responsibility of distribution and maintenance of the pipelines has been handed over to the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB). “Earlier, people used to get drinking water once in ten days to a fortnight. After shifting the responsibility to the KUWSDB, people are getting water once in four to five days,” Mr. Pattanshetty said.
The lack of storage capacity in the city was the major hindrance in distribution of drinking water. Hence, steps were being taken to construct five overhead tanks. The construction was nearly complete, he said.
Commenting on the implementation of a 24x7 drinking water supply scheme here, he said a sum of Rs. 180 crore had be released for this purpose, in select areas of the city. The scheme would be extended to all areas after studying its feasibility.
