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Water Supply

Major reshuffle in KWA planned

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:19 administrator
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The New Indian Express  30.11.2010

Major reshuffle in KWA planned

KOCHI: In the wake of widespread allegations against the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials in Ernakulam district, the state government has decided to reshuffle the organisation in the district.

Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran will convene a meeting of the officials in the district soon in this regard.

It is the alleged nexus between the officials and the contractors that has crippled many of the KWA projects in the district. The Blue Brigade, which was launched in Kochi last year, has ceased to function owing to the negligence on the part of those controlling it. It was to check the loss of potable water owing to leaks in pipelines that the Blue Brigade was started.

On getting complaints about leakage or breakage of the KWA pipelines, the Blue Brigade has to act immediately. And, the brigade is bound to deploy the contractors, who had undertaken the annual maintenance work, within 24 hours.

Though the brigade functioned effectively in the beginning, later it became defunct. The contractors who were to do the daily maintenance hardly did any work. If the brigade had functioned well, the contractors would have been forced to conduct the repair work regularly. So the contractors allegedly influenced the officials who had been controlling the brigade. It is this unholy nexus between the officials and the contractors that has resulted in the 'untimely death' of the muchhyped initiative.

The fate of the antitheft squad, which was started along with the Blue Brigade, has been the same. Even as water theft is becoming rampant in Kochi, the officials who are leading the squad are inactive.

The government has decided to vitalise the Blue Brigade and the antitheft squad by roping in new heads. The Blue Brigade in Kozhikode, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram are functioning properly. The government has decided to introduce specially designed vehicles for the brigade.

In Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, one more Blue Brigade will be started to cater to the growing needs.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:21
 

‘Government departments not paying water bills’

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:11 administrator
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The New Indian Express  30.11.2010

‘Government departments not paying water bills’

Many state government departments have been enjoying daily drinking water supplied by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) but seem least bothered to clear arrears. The total arrears from different departments is a whopping Rs 122.31 crore.

Due to non-payment of arrears, the Water Board is not in a position to even pay salaries of employees, pay power charges or take up works relating to water and sewerage. Though the Water Board claims to have enhanced supply quantity for residents, yet payment of dues is not happening regularly, resulting in dwindling Board finances.

To realise arrears from departments, the HMWS&SB managing director has addressed letters to concerned principal secretaries of different government departments and al l departmental heads. But so far, they have not received any payments.

Water Board officials said they were facing severe financial crunch and unable to pay power charges since the last two months, with the dues ballooning up to Rs 40 crore.

"If the dues are not collected on time, the Water Board may not be able to maintain operation and maintenance system," officials said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 09:13
 

State bodies owe 122 cr. to Water Board as arrears

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 04:45 administrator
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The Hindu       30.11.2010

State bodies owe 122 cr. to Water Board as arrears

Special Correspondent
Gram panchayats, DGP and GHMC among list of defaulters

Board has sent letters to Principal Secretaries, HoDs for payment of water cess arrears

HMWSSB says it is unable to pay power charges, which has accumulated to Rs.40 crore

HYDERABAD: It is not just the domestic consumers who default in payment of their water bills. The government departments, too, owe a whopping Rs.122.31 crore to the Water Board.

The gram panchayats owe Rs.29.60 crore for the 14 Consumer Account Numbers (CANs), the Directorate of Municipal Administration Rs.22.32 crore (2 CANs), the Medical and Health Department Rs.2.36 crore (8 CANs), Director General of Police Rs.5.09 crore (194 CANs) and GHMC Rs.62.94 crore (27 CANs) to the Board.

The Water Board has dashed-off DO letters to the principal secretaries concerned and the heads of departments for payment of water cess arrears. But so far, it has not received any amount.

Financial crunch

In a press release, the HMWSSB said it was passing through ‘critical financial crunch' and was unable to pay power charges for the last two months as a result of which the power bill of the body has accumulated to Rs.40 crore.

Still the Water Board had not resorted to the unpleasant action of disconnection of supply to the government departments.

“If the dues are not paid in time, the Board is not able to maintain the operation and maintenance system,” the release said.

It further stated that adequate quantity of water was being supplied to residents and government departments and surrounding municipalities. But the payments were not being received regularly. The Board urged the government departments to release water cess arrears immediately to help it overcome its financial crisis.

 
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