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Water Supply

Godavari water reaches city

Tuesday, 22 June 2010 05:07 administrator
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The Hindu     22.06.2010

Godavari water reaches city

Staff Reporter

Storage tanks meant for supply of drinking water had gone dry for three months

- Photo AVG Prasad

glad tidings: Godavari river water trickles into a water storage tank at Eluru.

ELURU: As the Godavari water trickles into the drinking water storage tanks in the city, the denizens who felt the pinch of water shortage during the summer, felt relieved on Monday.

The three storage tanks, meant to supply drinking water for the city, went dry for three months as the canals carrying the water from the Krishna and the Godavari were closed for repair works. The tanks got spruced up for filling of water.

When there were no signs of the Krishna water reaching the city now, the tanks have to be dependent on the Godavari water for water storage. The ongoing bed revetment works in the Krishna canal delayed the water release up to July 1.

The Godavari water was let into the Eluru canal for passage into the storage tanks at the pumping station at eastern locks on the city outskirts on Monday.

Even as the water trickles into the tanks from pipelines, the personnel of the Municipal Corporation of Eluru (MCE) sprinkled the bleaching powder bags along the stream as part of maintaining pond hygiene.

It may be recalled that the Godavari water is being utilised for drinking in the city for the last two years as the Krishna proved to be undependable for a variety of reasons. The people suffered due to water shortage in the current summer also, as usual, forcing the MCE to ensure supplies on alternate days. Besides, it also got the power supply disconnected by the Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (EPDCL) personnel during the supply timings in order to check over-exploitation of the precious liquid by the people in upper reaches by installing motors. The problem was felt more on the city outskirts which were deprived of piped water. MCE had tasted the wrath of people in these areas for inadequate supplies provided by tankers.

Srinivasa Rao, Divisional Engineer (Water Works), MCE, hoped the water woes in the city came to an end now with the Godavari water reaching the storage tanks.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 June 2010 05:07
 

Plans to augment water supply in Puducherry

Monday, 21 June 2010 05:12 administrator
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The Hindu       21.06.2010

Plans to augment water supply in Puducherry

Rajesh B. Nair

Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

Improving supply: Water from Oussudu will be taken to Ayee pond to recharge groundwater near the pumping station in Puducherry. —

PUDUCHERRY: The territorial administration has prepared a detailed plan to augment drinking water supply to residents of the town and suburban areas by drawing water from the Oussudu lake to Ayee pond situated a few metres away from the pumping station at Muthirapalayam.

The filling up of Ayee pond would help recharge the ground aquifers near the pumping station, which has around 16 bore wells. The water from the Oussudu lake, which is the largest tank in Puducherry having a capacity of 540 million cubic feet, would be taken to Ayee pond through pipe line, a senior official told The Hindu.

“We have already invited tenders and the contractors will be selected soon. The work to lay the pipeline connecting Oussudu and Ayee will be completed before the onset of monsoon. The pipeline would be around 4,800 m long,” the officials said. In order to complete the work on time, the scheme had been split into three phases, he added.

The project, which was announced by Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam in his budget speech, had been taken up at a cost of around Rs.44 lakh, he said, adding that it would help increase water supply by at least 20 to 30 per cent. The plan was to constantly maintain a water level at a height of 4 m to 5 m in the pond, which can store around 17,500 kilo litres of water, the official said. Though there was a natural channel connecting Ayee pond and Oussudu, it was lost in the process of urbanisation. As of now, on certain days it becomes difficult to operate the 16 bore wells at a time owing to depletion of ground water, the official pointed out.

“There was no need to pump water to Ayee pond. Because the gradient is such that if the sluice is opened, water will naturally flow from the Oussudu lake into the pipe line connecting the pond,” he added.

The historically significant pond named after renowned courtesan Ayee, who claimed to have developed the pond after demolishing her house, has now been restored.

“We have strengthened side bunds and took corrective measures to arrest flow of sewage into the pond. In a way, the project would also help the historically significant pond,” a senior official of the Public Works Department said.

Last Updated on Monday, 21 June 2010 05:14
 

GMADA dries up Chandigarh’s water plan

Friday, 18 June 2010 11:07 administrator
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Indian Express    18.06.2010

GMADA dries up Chandigarh’s water plan

Nitin Jain Tags : GMADA, water Posted: Fri Jun 18 2010, 03:32 hrs

 Mohali:  * To lay pipelines for Phase V, VI of the Kajauli waterworks * Mohali will get 40 MGD water

 

* Will not share water with UT

 

 

 

Foiling Chandigarh’s plan to draw more canal water from Punjab to augment its potable water supply, the Punjab government has decided, in-principle, to undertake the much-delayed Phase V and VI of Kajauli waterworks on its own. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has been made the nodal agency to execute the project estimated to cost between Rs 125 to Rs 150 crore.

 

With not having to share with the Union Territory, Mohali will get the entire 40 MGD (million gallons per day) water drawn from two new pipelines. However, Chandigarh has been offered to lay Phase VII and VIII of Kajauli waterworks or workout jointly with Punjab another five or six pipelines on twin-sharing basis. But, Phase V and VI will remain exclusively for Mohali as it was sanctioned initially.

 

A major decision to this effect was taken at a special meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh recently.

 

With this, an inter-state dispute between Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana has also come to an end. Earlier, Chandigarh and Haryana had been demanding a majority share in the water on getting the project funded from the Centre.

 

Taking benefit of the delay on the part of Punjab to execute the project, formally approved in 2006, the Chandigarh Administration had even got the funding of the project approved from Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to provide only 5 MGD water to Mohali and 3 MGD each to Panchkula and Chandimandir with remaining 29 MGD water to Chandigarh only. 

 

Confirming the development, GMADA Chief Administrator (CA) Vivek Partap Singh said according to the decision, GMADA has begun work to prepare fresh estimate of the project. “Work to lay pipelines will begin within a month and will be completed in the minimum possible time,” he said, adding that the project will be taken up on high priority in view of the acute shortage of drinking water in Mohali.

 

He said a major portion of the water to be pumped from Bhakra mainline canal will be supplied exclusively to Mohali city and the remaining surplus will quench the thirst of neighbouring towns of Kharar, Kurali, Nayagaon, Zirakpur and other Greater Mohali areas.

 

According to the decision, Punjab has offered Chandigarh to acquire land in its territory for Phase VII and VIII of Kajauli waterworks if Chandigarh wishes and is ready to bear the entire cost.

 

“Also, if Chandigarh desires, it can workout future requirement of water in Chandigarh and Greater Mohali area for the next ten years and join hands with Punjab to jointly undertake work on more pipelines required to quench future thirst,” a senior official said.

 

 

 

DELAY to COST DOUBLE

 

The delay has almost doubled the initial estimated cost of Rs 65 crore worked out when the project was formally approved in 2006. Though the land from Kajauli to Mohali had already been acquired, still the two new pipelines were not laid. Citing fiscal crunch, GMADA had in 2008 referred project to Centre for funding under JNNURM, but to no avail. Against the demand of 23 MGD water in summer, Mohali got 13.2 MGD water.

 
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