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Water Supply

Pune Municipal Corporation rejects demand for withdrawal of water cuts

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The Times of India   11.08.2012

Pune Municipal Corporation rejects demand for withdrawal of water cuts

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) water department on Friday rejected corporators' demand to withdraw water cuts. Officials said the irrigation department is averse to any change in the schedule of water supply since three of the four dams supplying water to the city are not filled to capacity.

Water cuts have been imposed in the city since March 1 and most of the areas get water only in the morning. All party corporators had raised the demand that water cuts be withdrawn after the irrigation department started to release water from the Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha right bank canal which supplies water to the city.

During the City Improvement Committee (CIC) meeting, PMC's water department head V G Kulkarni said, "The city draws water from four dams, of which only Khadakwasla is filled to capacity. The total storage of the other three dams - Temghar, Varasgaon and Panshet - is less then 60%. Considering this, the state irrigation department cannot withdraw water cuts."

Members of CIC insisted that water cuts be withdrawn since many parts of the city are reeling under water scarcity. They said that though the PMC has officially announced 18% cuts, many parts of the city receive water only on alternate days. The CIC members said the water discharged into the canal enables the PMC to lift additional water for the city and benefits smaller towns like Daund and Indapur.

CIC chairman Chetan Tupe told TOI, "However, the PMC water department is firm on its decision and the water cuts will stay. The PMC officials admitted that some areas suffer severely because of water cuts, while others get more than the allocated quota. This happens because of the geographical locations of the areas and the civic body is helpless to avoid the same."

Last Updated on Saturday, 11 August 2012 06:42
 

Tender approved for water project

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The Hindu   11.08.2012

Tender approved for water project

Staff Reporter

The Cabinet has approved the tender for the unfinished work of the Water Supply Augmentation project for West Kochi, more popularly known as the Hudco Drinking Water Project, said Minister for Excise and Ports K. Babu.

The project commissioned in 2007 aimed at providing 25 million litres of water a day to West Kochi and 10 MLD to Vypeen. Though the work was commissioned five years ago, the Palluruthy region has not received its benefits as a connecting link was yet to be provided. The initial work started way back in 1995 to address the drinking water problem in the south-western regions of the city. The project, however, dragged on in legal battles for land acquisition.

The work that would connect the people of Palluruthy to the Hudco project involves laying pipes for a distance of 766 metres. Tenders had been invited three times for laying this pipeline from Karanakodu Junction to Chemmathu. The original estimate of Rs.231 lakh for the project was revised upwards by 36.16 per cent in 2010.

Last Updated on Saturday, 11 August 2012 04:57
 

No need for cloud seeding now: Kunte

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The Indian Express   10.08.2012

No need for cloud seeding now: Kunte

BMC Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte on Thursday said there might not be any need to carry out a cloud seeding exercise in the city to induce rainfall given the present situation. Civic officials said a technical feasibility report received recently by the civic body from the Israeli firm Mekorot said it was possible to carry out cloud seeding over catchment areas of six lakes supplying water to the city.

“Initially, we did feel that rainfall will have to be induced artificially. But considering the recent events, such as overflowing of the Modaksagar lake and filling up of up to 75 per cent of the dam capacity of the Middle Vaitarna project, we do not need to carry out cloud seeding as of now. A review will be taken on Monday. If a need arises over the next remaining months of monsoon, we will reconsider,” said Kunte. He added that the firm’s report is yet to be studied and a technical go-ahead awaited from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

Despite the failure of the cloud seeding experiment in 2009, the BMC was forced to consider the exercise following pressure from corporators.

Cloud seeding is a process by which rain is induced through the spraying silver iodide crystals into rain clouds to stimulate the precipitation process. Bangalore-based Agni Aviation carried out the exercise in 2009 at the cost of Rs 8 crore, but failed to yield results.

Last Updated on Friday, 10 August 2012 11:17
 


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