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State privatising water supply in 16 cities: activists

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:19 administrator
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The Hindu  10.11.2010

State privatising water supply in 16 cities: activists

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Is the State Government planning to privatise water supply in 16 cities across the State? This is the question that is bothering some like-minded activists, who had launched a campaign against water privatisation in the city a few years ago.

“We have recently come across a secret agreement between the Government of Karnataka and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL and FS) to prepare ground for water privatisation in 16 cities across Karnataka by doing a feasibility study in these cities,” said Kshitij Urs, an activist. “After water services in Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Mysore were undemocratically handed over to private companies, the present privatisation strategy encompasses the whole of the State. This came to light during the review of a government order in State gazette mandating an exclusion of the agreement with IL and FS from the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act. However, the agreement itself does not find a mention in the gazette,” he explained.

Referring to the same project, K.V. Raju, Financial adviser to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, said at seminar organised by the Task Force on Quality Assurance in Public Constructions in Bangalore on Monday said that the project was aimed at plugging water leakage and providing round-the-clock water supply.

He said that a pilot project has already been implemented in Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad, where all connections are metered and consumers pay user charges. Pointing out that the project would be implemented in 16 other citiesin the State, Mr. Raju said that Bijapur and Chitradurga would soon get surface-based drinking water supply system.

Chairperson of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB ) P.B. Ramamurthy categorically ruled out privatisation of water supply in Bangalore.

M Kshitij Urs and other activists have organised a meeting on Wednesday to discuss this issue at SCM House on Mission Road in Bangalore.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:20
 

Comprehensive drinking water project makes headway

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:16 administrator
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The Hindu  10.11.2010

Comprehensive drinking water project makes headway

Staff Reporter

WB nominates consultant to prepare detailed project report

Guntur: The World Bank Funded Comprehensive Drinking Water Project has been put back on tracks. Ever since the Rs.147 crore project has been given the administrative sanction in 2008, there has not been much headway in the project.

The Guntur Municipal Corporation had even prepared DPR, but that was rejected citing technical reasons.

DPR

Aarvee Consultants nominated by the World Bank would now prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) based on an assessment of existing water distributing network and the proposed augmentation of water availability.

Incharge Municipal Commissioner A. Sarath, who reviewed the progress of the scheme directed representative of consultants K. Sambasiva Rao to complete the preparation of DPRs within a year so that the project might be completed in two years.

He also asked the consultants to take into consideration existing DPRs prepared by the engineering wing of the GMC in 2008.

With the interlinking of second water pipeline, which has augmented the per day water availability by 45 MLD, the drinking water project would further streamline the distribution and reduce the leakages, Mr. Sarath observed while assuring the consultants of all technical help from the corporation.

He also sought to depute a separate team to expedite the preparation of DPR.

Earlier, Mr. Rao made a presentation of the engineering department and explained the broad outlines of the DPR.

He said during the first phase of DPR, the inception and concept of the water project would be assessed followed by a study of unaccounted water and non-revenue water.

The DPR would also include the proposed distribution network.

A comparison of existing and the proposed water distribution network would be assessed scientifically, he said.

Deputy Commissioner K. Lakshminarayana, incharge Superintendent Engineer M.A Shukur, Municipal Engineer S. Upendra Singh and other officers were present.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:18
 

3 dams & a tunnel from Gujarat to add 577 mn litres to daily supply

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:56 administrator
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Indian Express       10.11.2010

3 dams & a tunnel from Gujarat to add 577 mn litres to daily supply

Prashant Rangnekar Tags : project, Ashok Chavan, Narendra Modi Posted: Wed Nov 10 2010, 05:30 hrs

Dams to interlink the rivers

dams to interlink the rivers
Mumbai:  To help quench Mumbai’s thirst, the state government has planned a 42-km tunnel connecting three new dams, one in Gujarat and two in Thane, a project that will enhance the city’s supply by 577 million litres a day.

The dams will be over the rivers Damanganga in Gujarat, and the Pinjar and the Wagh in Thane. They are part of a project to interconnect 30 rivers across the country.

In May, then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and Maharashtra Minister for Water Resources signed an agreement, a copy of which is with Newsline, for the dams to interlink the rivers.

The Damanganga river, over which the Bhugad dam will be built in Valsad, Gujarat, originates in Peth taluka in Nashik district and empties itself in the Daman creek. “Since the water was being emptied in the creek, it was decided to use the excess for Mumbai,” said an official with the state irrigation department.

The Khargi Hills dam over the Wagh will be built in Mokhada, Thane. The third dam, at Pinjar, will be built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The Bhugad dam will have a capacity of 400 MLD and the Khargi Hills dam will have a capacity of 420 MLD, with a major part of the total meant for Mumbai and its extended western suburbs such as Mira Road-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar.

The irrigation department will build the tunnel connecting the three dams. The link between Bhugad and Khargi Hills will be 16.85 km; that between Khargi Hills and Pinjal will be 25.70 km. 

“Most of the region is hilly and densely forested and parts are reserved forest areas. To minimise the impact on the environment, it has been decided to build RCC tunnels. The National Water Development Agency ) is preparing a detailed project report,” said the official.

“The government resolution is out and the decision is to be taken by the Authority,” said D T Dange, chief adviser to the MMRDA’s water resource management cell. The MMRDA will be the nodal agency; sources said the BMC too will fund part of the project.

“It is yet to be decided whether the dam would be jointly owned by the BMC and the MMRDA or whether the BMC will draw water and simply pay us,” Dange said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:58
 
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