The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Cauvery water for 100 more slums

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 01, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Cauvery water for 100 more slums

Staff Reporter

BWSSB gearing up to meet water supply needs of `Greater Bangalore'

SNAZZY FACADE: BWSSB's `Rajat Bhavan', which was inaugurated in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: The Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project (GBWASP) being executed by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will benefit residents of 100 more slums in and around the city, Health and Family Welfare Minister R. Ashok said here on Thursday.

Mr. Ashok was inaugurating the BWSSB's "Rajat Bhavan" in Malleswaram.

The Minister said the BWSSB was supplying Cauvery water to over 360 slums at subsidised rates. "Under the GBWASP, this facility will be extended to 100 more slums," he said.

With the State Government finalising the Greater Bangalore project, the BWSSB was gearing up to provide Cauvery water to the residents of all the seven City Municipal Councils (CMC) and one Town Municipal Council (TMC), which were likely to be merged with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, he said.

"Although the Government has started finalising the project only now, BWSSB started work on the project last year. The State Government will ensure that the BWSSB completes this project without any hurdles," Mr. Ashok said.

The Minister said: "If this project materialises, Bangalore will cover over 675 sq km and would become the `biggest' city in the country. Although Mumbai is also a big city, it has grown vertically. But our city's boundaries will increase if the project is implemented."

Flagging off the 25 new mini-tankers procured by the BWSSB to supply water in narrow lanes and old areas of the city, the Minister said the board had purchased the tankers to ensure that the Government's dream of providing Cauvery water to all Bangaloreans was fulfilled.

Science and Technology Minister Ramchandre Gowda said the BWSSB should set up its own power plant so that it did not depend on Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) for all its power needs.

"The water board is the only organisation to pay power charges in huge sums. Yet, if there is delay in paying the bills, the power utility disconnects the supply. To avoid such problems, I suggest that BWSSB should have its own power plant," he said.

He criticised the architects and engineers involved in the construction of the "Rajat Bhavan". He said the building was not user-friendly.

"If you are constructing any building for public use, you should ensure that it is user-friendly. This hall is too small for a wedding and too big for other functions. Besides, the steps are narrow and anyone can slip and fall," he said.

BWSSB Chairman N.C. Muniyappa welcomed the gathering. MLAs N.L. Narendra Babu and M.R. Seetaram spoke.

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