The Hindu                          16.03.2013

Steps taken to overcome drinking water scarcity, says Ramdas

Special Correspondent 

Minister for Medical Education and district in-charge S.A. Ramdas has said that the district administration has put in place measures to meet the drinking water needs of the district and the city.

The Deputy Commissioner had funds up to Rs. 19 crore to tackle the water crisis in the district, he said.

Speaking to presspersons after presiding over a meeting of officials concerned with water supply at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Friday,

Mr. Ramdas said the KRS water-level was 74.41 ft (8.5 tmcft), and water could be drawn up to 67 ft. Barring the dead storage level of 4.4 tmcft, the rest of the water could be drawn from the reservoir, which would last till May.

The Kabini water-level too had reached a “critical stage”, but water was still being drawn.

As much as 90 mld of water was being drawn from the Hongalli pumping station for supply to the city. Provisions would be made to pump water from there even after April (up to 50 mdl), Mr. Ramdas stated.

Besides, water from Belagola (47 MLD) and Melapura (67 MLD) was also being supplied to the city, which would last till June-end.

There were 1,495 borewells in the city — 659 power-pumps and 836 hand-pumps.

Of the hand-pump sets, 90 borewells had been locked since Kabini water supply started on a trial basis some time ago. If needed, they would be unlocked.

The district administration had asked Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company to make provisions for water supply through tankers.

Fifteen tankers were already supplying about 60 loads of water to needy areas daily in the city, Mr. Ramdas said.

The Mysore City Corporation would add another 15 tankers to increase the daily supply to 120 loads.

An Assistant Commissioner had been asked to supervise water supply operations on a daily basis and report to the Deputy Commissioner.

The official would attend to all complaints about drinking water supply and solve them in a specified time.

There was a plan to invest Rs. 97 crore to implement a “bulk water supply scheme” from Balamuri downstream of KRS to the city, Mr. Ramdas said.

It would ensure water to the city in all seasons, he said here.

The drinking water needs of several villages in the district had been assessed and steps taken to supply water in tankers, Mr. Ramdas said. They included villages in Jayapura hobli, T. Narasipur, Nanjangud and H.D. Kote taluks. Drinking water was also being procured from private borewells in those taluks, Mr. Ramdas said.

Eight ‘goshalas’ had been opened in the district with provision of fodder to more than 8,000 heads of cattle. The government had released Rs. 30 lakh to tackle drinking water needs in each Assembly constituency in the State, he added.

Deputy Commissioner Rame Gowda, chief executive officer of the zilla panchayat M.N. Ajai Nagbhushan, Commissioner of Police K.L. Sudheer and other officials were present during the function here on Friday.

The Hindu                          16.03.2013

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