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Water Supply

Save-water drive to begin in schools

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The Times of India          04.10.2010

Save-water drive to begin in schools

 CHANDIGARH: The municipal corporation would launch a campaign in the city schools to educate the children about the necessity of saving drinking water. The MC would extend the campaign to cover other educational institutes also.

Sources said a detailed plan was designed to generate awareness by publishing pamphlets and posters on conservation.

A senior official of the civic body told TOI that the youths must know the importance of preserving water for the future. Seminars would be organized in school premises.

In another development, the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Unit of office of Medical Officer of Health had started the partnership initiative programme a few days ago for schools students to have a positive impact on cleanliness.

 

A quarter of city does not pay for its water

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The Deccan Chronicle  04.10.2010

A quarter of city does not pay for its water

Hyderabad, Oct. 3: One-fourth of the 7.4 lakh consumers, in terms of water connections, do not pay their monthly water bills regularly. About 1.92 lakh consumers have not been paying their bills for the past year, and their pending bills along with arrears have mounted to `100 crore.

Only 3 lakh consumers pay up their bills every month, statistics with the Water Board reveals. In the core city, there are 1.43 lakh defaulters of which 40 per cent are in the old city, and another 49,000 from the 12 surrounding municipalities.

Sources said it was during collection and upgradation of data that officials realised that 26 per cent of the consumers do not pay their bills regularly. The board does not have data on just who is not paying their bills. The officials also for at least 30,000 connections, their data was wrong.

A large number of consumers had enhanced the size of their water connection. In these cases, two different consumer account numbers had been created, and the consumers were getting two bills. A few of such consumers which most of such cases have gone to court.

Asked about this, the Water Board executive director, Mr Ashok Reddy, said only 3 lakh consumers pay their bills every month. He said the Board had started serving notices on defaulters to pay the bills along with arrears. “The Board is launching a disconnection drive against illegal connections,” he said.

Meanwhile the deadline for regularisation of illegal water connections has been extended up to October 30, following a large number of representations from MLAs and corporators.

Last Updated on Monday, 04 October 2010 06:30
 

Big projects in the pipeline for South

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The New Indian Express  30.09.2010

Big projects in the pipeline for South

KOCHI: South division is right in the middle of the city with more commercial space than residential area. Represented by K V P Krishnakumar the division is considered to be a solid UDF bastion. The division which was in the general category during last election, will be reserved for women in the coming elections. Councillor of the area, Krishnakumar, says that some big projects funded by JNNURM are in the pipeline to solve waterlogging, the biggest problem of the division.

He says, “The building of a big drain from MG Road through Warriam Road and Diwan’s Road to Fine Arts Hall to the Vembanad lake will reduce waterlogging in Ravipuram and Pallimukku areas. The drain from the Monastery Road south end to the north, flowing into Mullassery Canal to the lake, will reduce waterlogging at Karikkamuri area. Contracts have been given for both these works. Another big project for carrying water from Mullassery Canal to Perandoor Canal is also in the plan.

This work will reduce waterlogging in the areas around the bus stand and railway station. Some roads will be raised and tarred as part of this work.

Once the work is over, the waterlogging trouble will be over.” According to the councillor, the division fund was also used for the maintenance of the existing drains and for building some new ones. All these drains were covered with slabs.

Streetlights, mostly sodium vapour lamps were put throughout the division and bylanes were concreted. He claims that all kinds of funds have been used for road tarring here.

Durbar Hall Road, Chittoor Road, Hospital Road, Warriam Road and Sadanam Road were tarred.

He says that ` 4 to ` 5 lakh from the KSUDP fund was utilised for slum development work at Mature kadavu Colony. Here basic infrastructure development work was carried out, drains were built and covered with slabs and public toilets were built.

Krishnakumar says that People’s Plan fund was used to carry out maintenance work at Government Girls High School and SRV School. Besides improvement of basic facilities, pipes were changed and a hall with low-cost roofing was made. A television set was given to Government Girls High School for study purposes. A stage was made at St Joseph’s School, Karithala, with sponsorship from Kochi Refineries. Here noon-meals were made more nutritious with funds from Prof K V Thomas MP and with other sponsors.

A ` 50-lakh housing scheme to better housing at Padyattukulam Colony is slated to be carried out with the general fund.

Residents here agree that waterlogging problems are severe in low-lying areas of the division like the area near South Railway Station. They complain that some of the roads are full of potholes since the rainy season. They hope that the big projects slated to be implemented in the area will be completed on a war-footing, so that things will change for the better.

South will be division no. 62 in the coming elections.

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:24
 


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