Urban News

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

Dry spell: SSNNL releases more water to save crops

Thursday, 27 August 2009 11:11 administrator
Print PDF

Indian Express 27.08.2009

Dry spell: SSNNL releases more water to save crops

To meet the growing demand for irrigation owing to inadequate rainfall in Gujarat, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) has started releasing over 10,000 cusec water in the canal.

“We have increased the release of water in the canal systems because there is a huge demand for irrigation as well as drinking water in Saurashtra and other regions of

the state,” said a senior SSNNL official.

He added that at present over 11,000 cusec water is being released from the Sardar Sarovar dam in the canal system. According to him, this is for the first time that such a huge quantity of water is being released in the canals from the Narmada dam.

“Around 6,000 cusec water is being provided in the Mahi command area in Vadodara district, where rainfall has been inadequate and irrigation is required to save the crops,” the official said

He added that around 2,000 cusec water is being provided in Fatehwadi canal to give irrigation in Dascroi areas where paddy is the main crop while through Mallya and Vallabhipur branch canals, irrigation is provided for cotton crops in Surendranagar district.

Moreover, apart from irrigation, Narmada water is the main source of drinking water in more than 8,000 villages in the state besides many towns and cities.

“As of now, 80 per cent of Ahmedabad’s total drinking water requirement and entire requirement of capital city of Gandhinagar is met with the Narmada water,” the official added.

According to him, if the water is used judiciously, there will be no shortage even in case of drought this year.

Last Updated on Thursday, 27 August 2009 11:15
 

Water supply cut, but no applicant for regularisation

Thursday, 27 August 2009 11:07 administrator
Print PDF
Indian Express 27.08.2009

Water supply cut, but no applicant for regularisation

After the gastroenteritis outbreak in Punjabi Bagh claimed two lives and over 500 others were taken ill last month, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation had disconnected over 200 handpump connections in different parts of the city and encouraged residents to take up regular water connections.

The handpumps existed primarily in vehras where migrants live in large numbers. Till date, however, not even a single vehra owner has come forward to sign up for a regular connection from the MC.

This raises several questions on how the migrants continue to live in the vehras in the absence of proper water supply.

MC engineers maintain that no handpump connection has been re-installed.

Executive Engineer Manjit Singh said: “In Zone D alone, we had disconnected 60 handpump connections and even FIRs were registered against 3 vehra owners as it is their responsibility to provide drinking water and toilet facilities to those living on rent in their premises.”

Nearly 12 handpump connections were disconnected in Zone A while the others were in Zone B and C.

It, however, seems that after getting the FIRs registered, MC authorities have slept over the issue and not pursued the matter.

Executive Engineer A K Gupta also admitted that no one has come forward to regularise their connections till date.

The most probable reason, it appears is that vehra owners have once again taken to illegal methods under the nose of MC authorities who reiterated that strict action will be initiated against those who are not getting their connections regularised.

Last Updated on Thursday, 27 August 2009 11:11
 

BBMP starts mapping city lakes

Thursday, 27 August 2009 06:39 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu 27.08.2009

BBMP starts mapping city lakes

B.S. Ramesh

Bangalore has lost at least 43 lakes so far, most of them in the heart of the city

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

To be restored: A view of the Begur Lake in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started a process of mapping lakes and water bodies that come under its jurisdiction.

It has also launched an exclusive website on the lakes www.bbmp.lakes.info for the benefit of the public. In addition to these steps, the palike has launched an action plan for the development of 143 of the 183 lakes coming under its jurisdiction.

Called Namma Bangalore Nisarga, the action plan says the total cost of renovating, reviving and protecting the 143 lakes would come up to Rs. 985 crore. It says work on demarcating boundaries of 21 lakes have already started.

Of the 183 lakes, 25 lakes have been developed, 21 taken up for development by the BBMP, 123 proposed for development, 12 lakes adopted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and 2 by the Lake Development Authority.

Some of the lakes proposed for restoration include Puttenahalli in B. Pura, Allasandra, Yelahanka, Atturkere, Kalkere, Kaudenahalli, Chinnapannahalli, Kaikondanahalli, Ambalipura, Uttarahalli, Dorekere, Puttenahalli Kere in B. Halli, Dorekere, Dasarahalli, Nayandanahalli, Malgal, Deepanjali, Kodigehalli, Herohalli, Giudanapalya, Bellandur and Varthur.

Bemoaning the loss of water bodies in and around the city, it said 43 lakes, most of them in the heart of Bangalore, had been lost forever including Dharmambudhi which has now become the Kempe Gowda bus stand. It said almost all these lakes, except a few, had been breached under the malaria eradication programme and for forming layouts. It says Marenahalli Lake has given way to J.P Nagar locality, Chinnagara Lake to Ejipura, Challaghatta to Karnataka Golf Association, Siddapura to Jayanagar 1st Block, Geddahalli and Nagashetttahalli to R.M.V. Extensions, Kadirenahalli to Banashankari 2nd Stage, Tumkur Lake to Mysore Lamps factory, Ketamarenahalli to Rajajinagar, Gangasheti to Minerva Mills and grounds, Jakkaraya to Krishna Flour Mills, Sampige to Kanteerava Stadium, Shule to Football Stadium, Akkithimmanahalli to Hockey Stadium, Koramangala to NDDI, Kodihalli to New Thippasandra and Sonnenahalli to Austin Town.

Sounding a note of warning about depleting groundwater levels, the plan says there are 1.25 lakhs borewells in Bangalore and said the water-table would recede further, if lakes continued to be encroached or breached. It says the huge expenditure incurred on sinking borewells would go waste if the depletion of water-table is not arrested. Calling for revival of the lakes, the plan said under the first phase, boundaries would be demarked, lakes fenced and sewage inflow diverted. In the second phase, deweeding and desilting activities would be taken up apart from bund formation.

In the last phase, the area around the lakes would be afforested and low-key activities such as paddle boating would be permitted.

Last Updated on Thursday, 27 August 2009 06:55
 
More Articles...


Page 387 of 414