The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Work on new Cauvery water scheme to start in December

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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
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Work on new Cauvery water scheme to start in December

Staff Reporter

It will enable BWSSB to supply additional 500 mld of water

Bangalore: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will start work on the 2nd Phase of the 4th Stage of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme in December. This project would enable the board to supply an additional 500 million litres of water a day (mld) to the city by 2011, Minister for BWSSB, IT-BT, Excise and Information Katta Subramanya Naidu said here on Wednesday.

Addressing presspersons after inspecting the water treatment plant and pumping station in Thorekadanahalli in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district, Mr. Naidu said the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), which is funding the Rs. 3,384-crore project, had approved the technical bids for the project.

“The tendering process will be completed by September and work will take off in December. This will enable us to provide water daily to consumers of all areas by 2011,” the Minister said.

Admitting that the board was unable to meet the growing demand for drinking water in the city, the Minister said: “We know that people in some areas get water once in three or four days. But we cannot be blamed for this shortage. The demand is more than the supply and we need to set up more water treatment plants to augment more water. All this can be done only by 2011,” he said.

He pointed out that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would spend Rs. 700 crore to supply drinking water and set up an underground drainage system in the newly added areas. This was mentioned in the State Budget, he said.

Pointing out that the pumping motors and other equipment in all the first three stages of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme had become old and outdated, the Minister said the board would replace the old machines with new ones at a cost of Rs. 574 crore.

“We have already approached the JBIC for financial assistance and we have got a positive response from the bank. We plan to start work by February,” the Minister said.

He said the board had prepared an estimation that it would require Rs. 300 crore to replace machines of the 1st and 2nd stages and Rs. 274 crore for the 3rd stage.

The Minister said the Government would strictly enforce the ban on quarrying in the catchment areas of Thippegondanahalli (T.G. Halli) lake to ensure that the inflow into the lake was not affected.

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