The Hindu 08.08.2012
No road-cutting charge to get water connection in 54 wards
Newly added areas under BBMP to get water on a trial basis from August 27
Following the government’s decision to undertake a trial
run of supplying drinking water under the II Stage of the IV Phase of
the Cauvery project from August 27, a decision has been taken not to
levy road-cutting fee on households seeking water connection in the 54
newly added wards of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Drinking
water will be supplied to two lakh households that were once under the
seven city municipal councils (CMCs) and one town municipal council
(TMC) which are now part of the BBMP. Greater Bangalore was created in
2007 by merging these seven CMCs and one TMC as well as 110 villages
with the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP).
This was announced by Minister for Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) S. Suresh Kumar here on Tuesday.
BBMP
charges Rs. 500 for cutting a foot of road for laying water pipes to
households from the main. Apart from this, officials demand bribe
ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh from each household for granting
permission to cut the road, according to sources.
Mr.
Kumar said two lakh households in 54 wards of the BBMP would be able to
get water connection. The house owners could seek connections in
September and October.
Plumbers trained
BWSSB
has trained 70 plumbers to provide water connection. Eight to 10
plumbers would be assigned to undertake works in each ward. Besides
paying for the taps, pipes and meter, each household would have to pay
Rs. 2,400 to the plumber. Households would get regular drinking water
supply from October, he said.
A total of 500 million
litres of water per day (MLD) would be supplied to these areas under the
project, which was taken up with the aid from Japan International
Cooperation Agency. With the addition of 500 MLD, a total of 1,400 MLD
water would be supplied to the city, the Minister said.
Noting
the drinking water shortage in the 110 villages that were merged with
the BMP, he said an expert committee had been set up to identify surface
water sources to ensure potable water to these villages. Discussions
were on with the Water Resources Department to mitigate water shortage
in these villages, Mr. Kumar said.
Survey
A
private company had been assigned the task of conducting a survey to
find out the extent of pilferage in the supply of drinking water in the
southern parts of the city, the Minister said.
-
House owners can seek connections in September and October: Minister
- Two lakh households to get regular drinking water supply from October
