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Water Supply

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation avoids using drinking water for gardens, saves 75k litres per day

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 11:12 administrator
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The Times of India                23.04.2013

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation avoids using drinking water for gardens, saves 75k litres per day

PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has been using water from rivers, nullahs or run-off water from treatment plants for most of its gardens. The civic body has been able to save nearly 75,000 litres of drinking water every day.

Speaking to TOI, superintendent (gardens) Dattatreya Gaikwad said the total area of all the municipal gardens in the city is 140 hectares. The corporation has been using water from borewells, rivers or nullahs to water around 95 per cent of its gardens.

In Wakad, the corporation uses water from the Mula river for gardening. Run-off water from water treatment plants is also being used to water the Durgadevi garden at Nigdi as well as the Swami Samarth, Gajanan Maharaj, Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram gardens. The water is also used to water the plants on the road dividers and those in a nursery in Pradhikaran.

Gaikwad said the civic body has proposed to lay a new water pipeline from the Chikhli sewage treatment plant to the Saikrishna and Shahu gardens. Earlier, the Shahu garden was supplied with drinking water by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), which has now been stopped. Water from borewells in the garden is inadequate to meet its needs. So the proposed pipeline will supply water to the garden from the Chikhli plant. The civic administration has tabled a proposal before the standing committee for laying the pipeline with a length of 3km. The work is expected to be completed by August once the proposal is approved.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 April 2013 11:19
 

KWA to revive packaged drinking water project

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 11:09 administrator
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The Times of India                23.04.2013

KWA to revive packaged drinking water project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government's plan to introduce CIAL model company for supply of drinking water will not hamper Kerala Water Authority's (KWA) ambitious project to introduce packaged drinking water. According to officials of KWA, the packaged drinking water project, which was conceptualized in 2010, will be revived.

KWA MD Ashok Kumar Singh said the department will soon submit a revised estimate for the project. "We have decided to submit a revised estimate of the packaged drinking water project prepared in 2010. Earlier the budget was around Rs 5 crore. We will have to revise it as there were no takers for the tender floated by us. The estimated cost may be Rs 10-11 crore," he said.

The KWA plan is to set up a plant of capacity 7,500 litres per hour at Aruvikkara. The plant will use Reverse Osmosis technology with UV and Ozone sterilization to produce quality packaged drinking water. According to KWA, the product will be available in sizes of 200 ml pouch, 200ml, 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre bottle and 20 litre refillable can.

KWA was planning to commission the project in January 2011. But the project got stuck due to various reasons ranging from lack of technical expertise of contractors to poor budget.

Singh said that soon-to-be introduced Kerala Drinking Water Company will not bring any changes in the schemes planned by KWA. "We will continue with projects such as packaged drinking water scheme. In fact, the drinking water company will not have access to water sources already used by KWA," Singh said.

Introduction of package drinking water by KWA is expected to bring an end to the monopoly of private companies, who charge exorbitant rates for packaged drinking water.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 April 2013 11:12
 

MC to install water meters, but this time private players to run the show

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 10:40 administrator
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The Indian Express                23.04.2013

MC to install water meters, but this time private players to run the show

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To avoid wastage of water in the city, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is back with a formula which had failed to produce the desirable results 15 years ago. However, this time, private agencies will be hired through tendering process to handle the whole functioning of water meters in the city right from reading the meters to generating bills and collecting payments.

As per a proposal of the MC budget 2013-14, under Operations and Maintenance Cell, the project to install water meters in the city will be finalised in the coming two to three months. The total project, which also includes 24x7 water supply, installation of new water pipes, upgrading sewerage system and canal water usage, is worth Rs 1,500 crore out of which Rs 200 crore will be spent on water meters and other minor works.

The water meters will be available in markets for Rs 700 to Rs 1,000, and people will buy them and get them installed in their homes and other places.

The new system will be different from the one in place 15 years ago. "Then bills were recovered from some and some were spared due to a biased approach. The whole system was doomed," said an MC official on condition of anonymity.

This time around, the project has been sanctioned Rs 1,500 crore under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as per which while 50% of total funds will be provided by the Central government, 30% and 20% funds will be given by the Municipal Corporation and the state government respectively.

"MC will finalise names of three to four companies which will provide water meters in the city and residents can purchase devices from them. As per initial discussions, the rate of water will be Rs 5 to 6 per kilo-litre and tenders will soon be floated for hiring private agencies but before that, consultants will be appointed by MC to help in the tender process," said Kamlesh Bansal, zonal commissioner, zone A.

Since the project is being decided at the level of secretary (local bodies), Punjab, it is expected to take two to three months to finalise all details not only for Ludhiana but for the whole of Punjab. The MC is also mulling over opening various repair centres in the city where water meters can be repaired or replaced by residents if any snag develops. Once such repair centre was opened by the MC in Industrial Area-B 15 years back.

"Our only aim is to reduce water wastage in city and increase recovery of water bills through these water meters. Naturally, private agencies are not going to spare anyone and will recover maximum bills," added Bansal.

As per sources, the meters are easily prone to tampering due to which they failed 15 years back. "Maybe now improved versions of meters after 15 years can help but we are doubtful," said the source from MC.

 
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