Monday, September 6, 2010

Water crisis looms large over Bangalore this summer too - Bangalore - DNA

Water crisis looms large over Bangalore this summer too - Bangalore - DNA

Water crisis looms large over Bangalore this summer too
Published: Friday, Apr 2, 2010, 16:05 IST
Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA


The newly elected corporators, whose names will be known on Monday, will have a tough task on hand after they assume office. They will face the wrath ofpeople if they don’t take steps to avert the water crisis looming large in Bangalore. The problem will be more acute in the newly added areas of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

There is no solution on the horizon but the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has drawn up a contingency plan to mitigate the problem and ensure equitable distribution of water.

Detailing the plan for the summer, a senior BWSSB official stated that tankers would be used to supply water to the areas where the problem was critical. The assurance of water supply, however, comes with a rider:“only to critical areas”.

“We cannot supply tanker water to all the areas as the available quantity is limited,” he clarified.

Even this supply will depend on the tankers available with the BWSSB as the private players are yet to be involved. “After the code of conduct (till Monday) is relaxed, tenders will be called to supply water through tankers. Private players can participate in the bid,” he said, adding that junior engineers have been assigned to identify critical areas where borewells have dried up.

Besides, the BWSSB official said that the engineers have been asked to attend to consumers’ complaints from 6am to 8am during summer. “They will be stationed at the service stations during the morning to attend to the problems of consumers,” the official said.

BWSSB minister Katta Subramanya Naidu has also instructed that tankers be kept ready to supply water to the affected areas as and when required. The minister also instructed the board officials to inspect and repair the pipes connected to faulty borewells.

Bangalore faces a shortage of 410 mld (milling litres daily). The demand is 1,219 mld and the city is getting a supply of only 870 mld of water.

IVRCL Obtains Orders For Rs.868 Cr.

IVRCL Obtains Orders For Rs.868 Cr.

IVRCL Obtains Orders For Rs.868 Cr.
3/29/2010 1:42 AM ET
RELATED NEWS
IVRCL Infra Q1 Net Drops

(RTTNews) - IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects said that the company obtained orders for Rs.867.57 crore. The first order is for extension, renovation and modernization of Eastern Kosi Canal system including settling basin, repairing and construction of building airport. The order is from Office of Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, Birpur, Bihar. The work will be completed by March 31, 2012.

The second order is for MADAM Master balancing reservoir and allied works of Hogenakkal Water supply and Flurosis Mitigation project from Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage board. The order is to be completed in 30 months.

The third order is from Bangalore Water supply and sewerage board for Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage project -II contract I for Raw Water transmission system. The project is to be completed in 24 months.

The fourth order is for providing sewerage system to erstwhile Bommanahalli CMC areas ( zone 4E and zone 4F) under KMRP from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The total completion period for zone 4E is 36 months and zone 4F is 24 months.

Click here to receive FREE breaking news email alerts for IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects and others in your portfolio

by RTT Staff Writer

One number to end all civic problems | | | Indian Express

One number to end all civic problems | | | Indian Express


One number to end all civic problems

NR Madhusudhan First Published : 22 Mar 2010 06:31:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 22 Mar 2010 08:56:48 AM IST
BANGALORE: The city corporation, water supply board and electricity board are considering forming a common helpline to attend to grievances of citizens.
In a recently held meeting, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner Bharat Lal Meena, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board chairman PB Ramamurthy and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) director Tushar Girinath declared their intention in this regard. They are discussing the possibility of extending the BBMP call centre and making its present helpline number (22660000) attend to complaints regarding BWSSB and Bescom as well.
“We are still in the initial stages of planning. We are exploring various means to minimise hassles for citizens and ensure speedy redressal of their problems,” an official source said.
Bangaloreans could use the common helpline to register complaints on roads, health, illegal constructions, tax, water supply, sewage, drains and electricity. The employees at the call centre will divert the complaint to the concerned official, who will have to attend to it within a stipulated time. The official will also have to inform their superiors or the helpline about the remedial action taken through email every evening.
BBMP has already provided wireless instruments to its employees to enable them to know the complaints and to address them at the earliest.

NETWORKING SOLUTIONS
* The heads of BBMP, BWSSB and Bescom plan a common helpline.
* The BBMP call centre planned to be made the common helpline.
* The helpline (22660000) will apply for BWSSB and Bescom as well.
* The plan is aimed at speedy redressal of grievances of citizens.
* Queries on roads, health, tax, water, etc. will be addressed.
* The call centre employee will divert complaint for the concerned official.

The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Energy & Environment : Precious drops

The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Energy & Environment : Precious drops

Precious drops

MARIANNE DE NAZARETH

WORLD WATER DAY - If we do not take conservation of water seriously, we are likely to have a dry future
How often have you walked down a road and seen a pipe with fresh water bubbling up and flowing down into a drain? It is a common place occurrence, but how many of us will take the trouble of calling the BWSSB and informing them of the leak? Bangalore has the dubious distinction of being one of the primary cities in the country for wasting fresh water.

Population growth, climate change, pollution, and careless management of this scarce commodity is the cause of this escalating problem. On the occasion of World Water Day today, nd and with a hot and difficult summer looming ahead, it's time we took water conservation seriously. Waste water from sinks, showers, toilets according to figures off the BWSSB website equal the three stages of the Cauvery water projects.

This is a mind boggling and frightening scenario.

Shivkumar from the Karnataka Council for Science and Technology says: “Bangalore has a peculiar problem. Water has to be pumped 95 kms from the river Cauvery to the city and up the gradient of 500 metres. This is why 300 crores of the BWSSB funds go on electricity to pump this water. However, Bangalore is lucky to have a natural undulating gradient to be able to collect rainwater and we do have good showers periodically. So instead of planning mega projects it's better to conserve ground water and harvest rain water for the city. There is a 41 per cent loss of fresh water and we do not know where it goes, 16 per cent is the water supplied in unmetered water fountains across the city, so 57 per cent is a very large figure of unaccounted water loss. The water pipes in the city are over 100 years old and with road expansion, they are now almost in the middle of the road. Huge amounts of money will be required to change the entire piping system. Some sort of accountability is being brought in by the BWSSB Chairman in each locality.”

The Director of the India Water Portal, Vijay Krishna says that on the occasion of World Water Day or any day, as citizens we have to make sure that regulations concerning rainwater harvesting are taken seriously.

“We have all taken fresh water supplies for granted and we need to plug leaks and conserve water seriously today. The Cauvery Water supply is in its fourth stage. There is no more water left to tap and Bangalore cannot sustain this huge growth in population. Large companies must also look at waste water treatment where waste water can be used for flushing, cleaning and use outside in the garden, rather than using fresh water supplies.”

Explaining the new system which the BWSSB has come out with where the engineer of every layout is responsible for the outflow of water, Shivkumar says, “There are meters in individual homes, but there are also meters attached for bulk supply so the inflow and outflow is being monitored. Plugging of leaks is taken seriously and hopefully with citizen participation and awareness, fresh water is being carefully used.”

Both officials warn that if the citizens of Bangalore do not take cognizance of the problem of pressure on fresh water supplies and help themselves with rain water harvesting, Bangalore is heading for a massive problem with regard to lack of fresh water in real time, today, now, and not in 2015.

Tighten those taps, check leaks , have bucket baths and avoid hosing down your cars and lawns from today onwards. Check out http://www.bwssb.org/water_conservation.html to see the various methods of conservation of water that the BWSSB suggests.

Keywords: World Water Day, water conservation, environmental issues

Rs 49 cr to solve water crisis | | | Indian Express

Rs 49 cr to solve water crisis | | | Indian Express

Rs 49 cr to solve water crisis

Express News Service First Published : 18 Mar 2010 05:09:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 18 Mar 2010 06:34:24 AM IST
BANGALORE: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) Minister, Jagadish Shettar, on Wednesday informed the Legislative Assembly that Rs 49.2 crore had been released to solve the problem of drinking water shortage.
The money was released to the task forces headed by MLAs, he said.
Replying to a question raised by JD(S) member, Shivalinge Gowda, during the Question Hour, the Minister said the funds released would reach local officers in a couple of days.
Shettar said that Rs 35.2 crore had been released for the task forces and Rs 14 crore to take up immediate relief measures to ensure drinking water supply in the 86 droughtprone taluks.
The Minister assured members that the government was willing to release any amount of funds to ensure drinking water supply and other relief works that needed to be taken this summer.
Govt panel to check corruption in NREGS
In an effort to prevent corruption in implementation of the NREGS the state government has decided to appoint Ombudsmen and Vigilance Squads in each district.
RDPR Minister Jagadish Shettar, informed the Assembly on Wednesday that the government had also decided to order for a social audit to ensure proper implementation of the scheme.
Jagadish Shettar said that action had been taken against 115 officers for lapses in implementing the NREGS.

Subhash Projects Bags Two Orders

Subhash Projects Bags Two Orders

Subhash Projects Bags Two Orders
3/17/2010 2:15 AM ET
(RTTNews) - Subhash Projects & Marketing said that it received two orders. The first one is a turnkey project from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore for Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Project (II) - Contract W3 - Civil and Electromechanical Works for pumping stations and reservoirs at T.K Halli, Harohalli and Tataguni under JICA Loan - ID-P165. The project is valued at Rs.439.35 crore and is secured in joint venture with Kirloskar Brothers Limited. The second one is from Delhi Jal Board, New Delhi for replacement of existing Jal Vihar and Kailash mains from Rajib Gandhi Smriti Van to Jal Vihar and Kailash reservoirs respectively. It is valued at Rs.35.99 crore.

by RTT Staff Writer

The Hindu : Front Page : Some wards in drought-prone cities now get water round the clock

The Hindu : Front Page : Some wards in drought-prone cities now get water round the clock

Some wards in drought-prone cities now get water round the clock

Nagesh Prabhu
Pilot project covers 10 p.c. of population in Gulbarga, Hubli, Belgaum


THANKFUL:The World Bank-aided Rs. 237-crore project ensures water supply to at least
Bangalore: For the residents of some of the poorest slums in Gulbarga, Hubli-Dharwad and Belgaum — three of Karnataka's most drought-prone cities — street-side quarrels, long water-queues, the spread of water-borne diseases and even absenteeism among schoolchildren were common enough occurrences, the social outcome of an abysmal shortage of drinking water. Water was made available once in three to five days. And, only affluent localities benefited. Till last year, when a World Bank-aided pilot project actually made drinking water shortages a thing of the past in a few select wards of each city. Today, in summer, drinking water is available round the clock there.

The Rs. 237-crore project has provided water to at least 25,000 households in these cities through an efficient distribution system.

Water supply in Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad has gone up by 27 MLD (million litres a day), 30 MLD and two MLD respectively, from 2008. Leakage is down from 40 per cent in 2008 to seven per cent now.

The pilot project, taken up in 29 wards of the three cities by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), has disproved many misperceptions. One among them is that a 24 x 7 supply requires large quantities of water.

As against the expected 153 litres per capita consumption daily (lpcd) for the project, average consumption actually dropped to 100 lpcd, say bank officials, as now households no longer feel the need to store water in containers.

Arvind Shrivastava, managing director of KUIDFC, told The Hindu that the pilot project covers 10 per cent of the population. Water is now cheaper as households no longer need to pay private suppliers and incur loss of wages while waiting in queues. All connections are metered. The project safeguards the poor through cross-subsidies.

A minimum of 8,000 litres per household per month is provided at a subsidised rate of Rs. 6 per 1,000 litres for poor households (those residing in homes less than 600 sq. ft) that constitute 31 per cent of the total households, Mr. Shrivastava said.

Sumitra Subash, a resident of Gulbarga's Mehatargalli slum, said she was thankful for the 24-hour supply.

The private operator, a French water company, Veolia Water, has been entrusted with maintenance and operation of the system.

It is responsible for providing connections and billing. The actual collections remain with the civic authorities.

The private operator is linked to a performance-based contract.

The number of amoebic dysentery patients visiting two government and private hospitals in Gulbarga city declined from 720 in 2006-07 to 100 in 2009-10 (till January-end) and bacillary dysentery cases came down from 410 to 50 and jaundice from 200 to 20 during the same period.

In Gulbarga city, schools reported increased students' attendance.

While some reported an increase from 80 per cent in 2005-06 to 93 per cent in 2008-09, others reported an increase from 70 to 93 per cent during the same period.

Plumbers to popularise Rain Water Harvesting

Plumbers to popularise Rain Water Harvesting

Plumbers to popularise Rain Water Harvesting
S Lalitha, Bangalore, March 12, DH News Service:

Renewal of BWSSB plumber licences now comes with a rider. They should have installed at least ten Rain Water Harvesting Units.


Frustrated in its efforts to popularise Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) in the City, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has recently decided to crack the whip on plumbers as the deadline (March 31) for renewal of licences is fast nearing.

A circular to the effect has been issued by the BWSSB chairperson Dr B Ramamurthy in the first week of February, according to a top source in the Board.

The licences are renewed once every two years. “As the renewal was last done before March 31, 2008, they need to be renewed before March 2010 elapses,” he informed.
The result of the new rule is is that the 600 licenced plumbers of BWSSB will now now contribute their share in spreading the RWH concept across the City.

Deadline

The deadline for installation of RWH structures in all new houses and those with sital dimensions of 60’ x 40’ is May 27. The BWSSB had in January this year announced an incentive of Rs 10,000 for each plumber who succeeded in installing 100 RWH structures.
“This failed to generate the expected enthusiasm as plumbers kept lamenting that convincing owners of even ten houses to opt for RWH units was a tough job. This forced the department to go in for a rethink and this circular is an outcome of the process,” the source said. The Rs 10,000 incentive continues to hold good.

The effect

The order appears to have helped in popularising RWH. As on date (March 11), 10,351 houses including new and existing buildings, have opted for RWH. another official said.
“Of these, roughly 60 per cent have been installed in new houses while 40 per cent of the units have come up on existing buildings,” he added.

The number has clearly shown a surge in the last one month from 8,000 RWH units by end of January to over 10,000 now.

“The change in attitude by plumbers is the main reason,” the official felt.
Overall, there are 55,000 existing buildings in the City which need to install RWH and only nearly 4,000 have complied so far.

“There is still a long way to go but the impact of the circular is bound to goad plumbers to achieve at least the minimum expected of them for the sake of their licences,” he said.
BWSSB Plumbers Association General Secretary, Subbana said they had given an assurance to officials that each plumber would meet the ten units required of them.
“This is feasible. However, installing RWH in 100 houses in three months is just impossible and that incentive is beyond our reach,” he added.

City is the second highest water waster in country

City is the second highest water waster in country

Bangalore is the second highest water waster in country
Ajith Athrady, New Delhi, March 12, DH News Service:

This is one issue Bangalore cannot wash its hands of. The City has earned itself the dubious distinction of being the worst waster of precious drinking water after Delhi.


A stinging scenario.Although in the midst of a severe water crisis, 50.9 per cent of the City’s drinking water is allowed to go waste, and it is second only to Delhi which tops in the country among mega cities in wasting of water. The national capital wastes 52.4 per cent supplied to it.
A study by the Union Ministry of Urban Development on sanitation as well as urban water supply situation in 28 cities across the country has revealed that only 50.8 per cent of Bangalore’s population has access to piped water supply. The rest depend on unorganised water supply sources like open wells and bore wells.

Of the urban areas surveyed, seven mega cities – Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkota, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad – are the major culprits from where there were reports of the highest quantity of water wastage – ranging from 13 per cent to 52 per cent. However, among the same cities, Mumbai has been credited with wasting the least quantity of water – 13 per cent – followed by Chennai with 17 per cent.

Wasted water, or non-revenue water, is fed into the system but does not reach the consumer either due to pilferage, including leak in pipes, theft, illegal diversion or non-metering.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the body which manages the City’s water supply, has proved its effectiveness in revenue collection as well as metering which has reached up to 97 per cent households.

However, when it comes to addressing public grievances, it is attending to just 86 per cent complaints, the survey discovered.

The survey also involved finding out the deficiencies of civic agencies in providing quality water to consumers as well as set right their problems, a senior Urban Development Ministry official told Deccan Herald.

Bangalore is getting 900 million litres of water per day (MLD) against a demand of 1,125 MLD. In addition to this, the BWSSB’s on-going scheme to provide nearly 45,000 new water connections is indication that the demand for water is growing with every passing year.

Apart from the core areas in the City’s old 100 wards, BWSSB is also supplying water to 74 newly added wards.

While the supply in the core areas is once in two days, it is almost once in five days in the newly included wards.

Ready for summer wars | | | Indian Express

Ready for summer wars | | | Indian Express

Ready for summer wars



First Published : 11 Mar 2010 05:37:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 11 Mar 2010 08:37:20 AM IST



BANGALORE: The ‘summer of discontent’ that the city has braced itself for may in reality ease a bit, with the reviving of major lakes to act as reserves for usable water.

A few good spells of rain in the city could fill the eight lakes that have been desilted by and bring relief to the people, besides helping recharge groundwater.

Attur, Alalsandra, Panathur, Arikere, Uttarahalli, Chinnappahalli, Kaikondanahalli and several other lakes have been desilted and many more will be desilted in the days to come, said BBMP officials.

“A total of 17 lakes will be desilted by BBMP and 12 by BDA,” they said. With water supply being affected, this project will ease the problems of Bangaloreans, they said.

The sewage water which enters the lakes from the inlets will now be diverted to ensure that there is only fresh water in the lakes, officials said.

“We have provided separate channels from the inlets to the outlets so that sewage does not enter the lakes,” they said.

Thus the possibility of lakes becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other waterborne diseases is eliminated, BBMP officials said.

The BBMP has recovered nearly 50 acres of encroachments on these lakes in the first phase under which 17 lakes are being revived. The recovered lands are now being properly fenced to ensure that encroachments do not take place again, they said.

BBMP authorities will partner with local resident associations to help maintain lakes which were hitherto neglected, to maintain the cleanliness and deter encroachers, they said.

The summer drill begins, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror

The summer drill begins, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror

The summer drill begins

Hounded by residents, MLAs want the government to start drilling borewells in their constituencies quickly. It's another matter that underground water tables are receding rapidly

Niranjan Kaggere

Posted On Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 05:50:38 AM

With summer here, the clamour for water is growing louder and MLAs want the government to start drilling borewells quickly. Environmentalists, however, say that's not the best solution to the city's water problem.



A borewell being dug in
Basweshwaranagar
Deluged by complaints, MLAs representing parched constituencies on the periphery of the city that don't get water from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) say the quickest way to solve the problem is to drill borewells.

N L Narendra Babu, MLA from Mahalakshmi Layout, blames the government for the crisis. "I have been getting complaints since January. But instead of providing facilities for the existing city, the government is busy creating more and more layouts."
B N Vijaykumar, MLA from Jayanagar constituency, said, “Within core Bangalore, there is no need for borewells as we meet the demand through tap and pipeline connections. However, borewells are inevitable on the outskirts."

Stop. Wake up
Borewells, however, are only a quick-fix solution, says environmentalist Sheshadri Ramaswamy of Hasiru Usiru. “Already, the underground level is receding beyond imagination. The injudicious use of underground water all these days has brought us to this situation. We need to wake up at least now and understand the reality. If you go on extracting underground water by digging more borewells, it will lead to a worse scenario," he said.

That is what's happening. The more borewells the government plans, the deeper it needs to dig. Already, the water table in Basavanagudi and Jayanagar areas has the least depth — between 400 ft and 600 ft. The depth in most other areas is not encouraging either.

“Out of every 10 borewells dug, two or three will be duds," says C V Raman Nagar MLA S Raghu. "With time, the remaining also turn dry," he said.

Muniraju, MLA from Dasarahalli constituency, agrees. "We have more than 300 borewells but of them, around 110-120 measuring 800-900 ft are running dry already".

Wasted
Every time a borewell dries up, nearly Rs 2.5 lakh goes down the drain. “The complete cost of a borewell is close to Rs 2.5 lakh. A total of Rs 60,000 to Rs 75,000 is spent on just drilling and Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 is spent on casing pipes and the motor and the rest is spent on getting power connection or to lay an extra power cable and pipeline work,” explains Muniraju.
As a result, most MLAs are cautious about the drilling and use of borewells. "I'd rather initiate a survey and then submit a proposal on the requirement of borewells,” says B N Vijaykumar in whose constituency (Jayanagar) the underground water level has gone below 600 feet.

There are other ways to ensure that borewells are used judiciously. “We entrust prominent people in the locality with the responsibility of monitoring the borewells and their use," says Basavanagudi MLA L A Ravisubramanya while Raghu says the only option is to recharge the borewells when it rains.

Apart from rainwater harvesting,desilting reservoirs and tanks to increase storage capacity could be a smarter alternative to borewells. But this is a long-term measure and will not be of much use this summer.

“Had Hesarghatta Lake been rejuvenated, it would have solved our problems. But now, there is no other alternative but to go for borewells," says S Muniraju, MLA from Dasarahalli constituency where a part of the Arkavathi river basin falls.

Meanwhile, the clamour for borewells grows louder.

High and low

Constituency

Borewells

Proposed

Depth

Mahalakshmi Layout

12

35

700-800 ft

BTM Layout

20-25

10

>700 ft

Dasarahalli

> 300

50

> 900 ft

C V Raman Nagar

150

60

900-1,200 ft

Basavanagudi

30

20

500-700 ft

Yeshwanthpur

250

150

800-1,000 ft

Vijayanagar

36

30

600 ft

















Shettar promises funds
The acute shortage of potable water across the state paved way for a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. SeveralMLAs, irrespective of the region, demanded speedy action from the government in solving the problem.
Responding to the demands, Rural Developmental and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar said, “The problem has come to the notice of the government and steps will be taken soon to drill enough borewells and supply drinking water.

Within a week, funds will be released to the task force on potable water for taking adequate steps to mitigate the problem.”


BBMP, BWSSB join to prevent water contamination | BBMP | | Indian Express

BBMP, BWSSB join to prevent water contamination | BBMP | | Indian Express
BBMP, BWSSB join to prevent water contamination

N R Madhusudhan First Published : 11 Mar 2010 05:39:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 11 Mar 2010 08:36:37 AM IST
BANGALORE: Come summer, and water borne diseases like malaria, dengue, cholera and gastroenteritis strike with a renewed vigour — mainly because of contamination of drinking water by drainage in the supply lines.
This time, however, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is co-coordinating with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to prevent water contamination.
The Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) and Executive Engineers, who are incharge of all the 26 divisions of BWSSB are in touch with health inspectors to find out which areas in the city are witnessing a spurt in the cases of water borne diseases.
BWSSB officials say there is a possibility of the drainage water entering pipelines near the drains through cracks. The BBMP has been asked to ensure that water from the drains does not stagnate near drinking-water pipelines.
The water is treated at the source before it is pumped to the city. However, during summers the chances of contamination are greater as the cholorine level in water dips fast during summer due to evaporation.
To maintain optimum chlorine levels, BWSSB increases the amount of chlorine in the water during summer. The frequency of water testing has also been increased, say BWSSB officials.
A BWSSB official said, “We are doing whatever is possible to prevent water contamination this summer. Often people contract a water borne disease by drinking water and juices at roadside shops. One should not drink water that is stored for more than two days as there are possibilities of bacteria and viruses growing in such water.”
madhusudhan@expressbuzz.com

BWSSB calls for tech support | | | Indian Express

BWSSB calls for tech support | | | Indian Express

BWSSB calls for tech support

N R Madhusudhan First Published : 08 Mar 2010 06:06:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 08 Mar 2010 06:52:20 AM IST
BANGALORE: In its efforts to supply quality drinking water to the people of the city, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is exploring possibilities of using Information Technology (IT) to test its quality. This system is already in use in countries like Singapore.
Sensors would be programmed to test the turbidity of water (the amount of suspended solids in water) and the presence of chlorine.
They would be fitted in the pipeline and at the groundlevel reservoirs through which water is pumped to different parts of the city.
The sensors will send signals, after measuring the turbidity and chlorine level, to the computers to which they are linked. If the turbidity and chlorine levels exceed the prescribed limits, officials can direct the concerned employees to do the needful.
The water is treated at the source (Thorekadanahalli and Thippagondanahalli) and pumped to the city after chlorination and adding the necessary minerals like alum. The water is also tested at the source for its contents.
There is a possibility of the growth of different types of bacteria and viruses in the water, if chlorine levels are below the prescribed levels.
These bacteria and viruses can cause water-borne diseases. The chlorine content in water decreases with time.
The prescribed level of chlorine is 0.2 ppm (parts per million) at the supply point.
If the chlorine levels in the water is less than the prescribed level, the sensors will indicate the same and chlorine can be added to the water through chlorinators.
There is also the possibility of water getting contaminated due to the seepage of sewage, mud and other impurities when there is a breakage in the pipeline.
Such seepage can be detected when the turbidity level increases.
The breakage can be fixed immediately.
A BWSSB official said, “The service provider is offering us the facility of measuring chlorine level at points where sensors are fitted.
If they can develop a software to send all the data collected at different points to one centralised server, we might consider using this technology very soon”.
At present, BWSSB has three laboratories for testing water that is supplied to the city and sewage that is discharged from the city.
One laboratory focuses exclusively on testing water.
madhusudhan@expressbuzz.com

BWSSB pleased with budget allocation

BWSSB pleased with budget allocation

BWSSB pleased with budget allocation
Bangalore: Nov 11, DHNS

“Good budgetary allocation” for the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has pleased its Chairperson P B Ramamurthy.


Welcoming the amount allocated towards replacement of defective pipes, he said: “This is an important step towards reducing water leakage.”

The sum of Rs 425 crores provided to 110 villages newly added to BBMP will give a major thrust towards providing amenities in these places, he added.
A considerable sum is also allocated towards the Second Phase of Cauvery Drinking Water Supply Stage IV. “The exact sum would be informed to us shortly,” he said.
Meanwhile, here is good news for those who opted to delay installing Rain Water Harvesting structures. To motivate public to opt for RWH structures, the stamp and registration duty on loans availed to install RWH units has been done away with.
Elaborating on the details, Inspector General of Stamps and Registration department, K R Niranjan said that the loan applicants for RWH units had to pay 0.25 per cent towards stamp duty and one per cent towards registration fee out of the total loan availed.
“The exemption granted is bound to offer relief to those opting for the units,” he said.
DH News Service

“The price hike in commodities is going to have a significant impact. People are more worried about the hike in the price of essential commodities rather than an increase in their salary package.”
Rakesh, a retail stores owner.

“From the utilitarian perspective the hike in VAT is simply not reasonable. We had the increase in the VAT rates sometime three years ago and as recently as last week, the Centre increased the tax rates on quite a few commodities.”
Abhay Srinivasan, a HR personnel in a MNC
“Whatever the Centre has done, the State is extending it. This would see us spend more on commodities.”
Caleb David, a Corporate Communication executive.

“While the budget statements sound interesting, there is a immediate need to ensure that transparency is installed in the system in spending of funds. There has been time and again allocation for drainage systems and storm water drains in the State budget. But nobody knows where it has been spent,”
Doris Raj-D’Souza, a civic
activist.

“While there is a urgent need to ensure that Rs 20,000 cr is earmarked for the civic amenities for the City, it needs to be implemented in a phased manner. It has been allocating money every year. But it seems that the government has been keeping funds as a eye wash. They need to be used.”
Kathyayni Chamraj, CIVIC member.
“The middle class dream of owning a car has become much more expensive. I was planning to buy a new four-wheeler and but the increase in motor vehicle tax has stunned me. The dream of every common man to buy a car in the City will vanish soon.
Subash Chandra Rao, lecturer

“The increase in tax for two-wheelers will affect those from the poor and middle classes going to work on long routes. “The tax hike for four wheelers is okay, because only people with good salary can afford this. We cannot rely on the buses,”
Kempanna, artist.

City gets Rs 5,325 cr for infrastructure

City gets Rs 5,325 cr for infrastructure

City gets Rs 5,325 cr for infrastructure
BS Reporter / Chennai/ Bangalore March 06, 2010, 0:45 IST
With the forthcoming elections to the Greater Bangalore City Corporation or the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in mind, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who presented the state budget for 2010-11, showered a big bonanza on Bangalore city.

The government proposes to spend a whopping Rs 5,325 crore, about 7.6 per cent of the budgetted expenditure for the development of infrastructure in Bangalore city alone during fiscal 2010-11. Over the last two years, the government spent Rs 6,000 crore on developing infrastructure of Bangalore city.

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For the ultra modern metro project, the state has proposed to spend Rs 600 crore in 2010-11. Till now, the state has provided Rs 1,600 crore of its share as capital and loan. The project is being implemented with the Centre’s assistance.
“The government is prepared to provide 50 per cent of the capital required for start local trains in Bangalore city. The Centre will be approached to approve the scheme expeditiously,” Yeddyurappa said.

The Bangalore Development Authority will get Rs 1,000 crore on constructing multi-storeyed vehicle parking centres and for improving 10 important traffic routes in various parts of Bangalore. Another Rs 200 crore will be utilised for improving 25 tanks in the city.

Infrastructure like improvement of city roads, improvement of footpaths, construction of overbridges and underbridges will be taken up through the BBMP at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore. A project of Rs 425 crore for providing drinking water and sanitation facilities to the villages newly added to the jurisdiction of the BBMP will be started through the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board. An amount of Rs 100 crore will be utilised to replace the old water and drainage pipes in the older areas of the city.

For the development of other urban centres in the state, Yeddyurappa has announced a new scheme — Mukhyamantri Nagarothana Yojane — from 2010-11. The government will spend Rs 600 crore under the scheme for specific development programmes like drinking water, sewerage system and road development.

“More than 34 per cent of the population of the state lives in cities, and this ratio is increasing every year. There is a need to formulate a systematic plan for providing the appropriate infrastructure facilities for these citizens,” the chief minister said.

To provide sufficient drinking water supply to the fast-growing towns in the state, the government has given it priority and has provided Rs 304 crore for 2010-11 to expand the drinking water supply schemes in 120 towns.

The 24x7 water supply scheme started on a pilot basis in Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad have been implemented successfully and this scheme will be extended to other 16 cities of the state, he said.

Yeddyurappa also announced a Rs 50 crore scheme for four-laning the road between Hubli and Dharwad and Rs 25 crore each for Udupi and Yadgir districts.

Survey projects 5.5 percent growth for Karnataka | 233245

Survey projects 5.5 percent growth for Karnataka | 233245


Survey projects 5.5 percent growth for Karnataka
By Indo Asian News Service | 04 March 2010 | 7:48pm 0 Comment


Bangalore, March 4(IANS) Global recession and slowdown in the Indian economy notwithstanding, the gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Karnataka is estimated to be 5.5 percent this fiscal (2009-10) as against 4.5 percent last fiscal (2008-09), the state's economic survey revealed Thursday.
Bangalore, March 4(IANS) Global recession and slowdown in the Indian economy notwithstanding, the gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Karnataka is estimated to be 5.5 percent this fiscal (2009-10) as against 4.5 percent last fiscal (2008-09), the state's economic survey revealed Thursday.
According to the survey report, tabled in the legislature on the eve of the state's budget presentation Friday, Karnataka's gross income is expected be Rs.189,773 crore this fiscal (FY 2010) as against Rs.179,809 crore last fiscal (FY 2009).
The net state domestic product (NSDP) is anticipated to be Rs.168,022 crore as against Rs.159,452 crore, an increase of 5.4 percent.
'The growth in GSDP of secondary and tertiary sectors is anticipated to be 7.5 percent and 6.2 percent respectively. The per capita income is projected to be at Rs.32,411 this fiscal as against Rs.31,041, a growth rate of 4.4 percent compared to 3.4 percent last fiscal,' the report compiled by the state planning programme monitoring and statistics department said.
As an important macro economic indicator, the state's index of industrial production (IIP) covering mining, manufacturing and power stood at 134, 142 and 148 for the first three quarters of this fiscal.
The IIP index grew by 4.72 percent to 166.85 percent in fiscal 2008-09 from 158.98 in 2007-08. The mining sector showed the highest index of 241.22 followed by manufacturing sector at 167.45 and energy sector at 146.33.
In terms of growth, mining grew by 11.27 percent, manufacturing 10.95 percent and energy 5.45 percent.
As the country's premier IT sector, software exports increased to Rs.70,375 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.59,500 crore in 2007-08, while BPO (business process outsourcing) exports more than doubled to Rs.15, 014 crore from Rs.7,600 crore in the same period.
The survey also indicated the cascading impact of global recession and slowdown in the domestic economy on the state, when its GSDP declined steeply to 4.5 percent last fiscal (2008-09) from a high of 12.6 percent in fiscal 2007-08.
The decrease of 0.4 percent growth in the primary sector was mainly due to fall in agriculture production. The secondary sector (manufacturing) grew marginally by 0.3 percent as electricity, gas and water supply had a negative growth of 36.3 percent.
The tertiary sector, driven by IT services, however, grew by 8.5 percent on account of communications posting 26.8 percent, public administration 18.2 percent, banking and insurance 13.9 percent and other services six percent.

2 years without water, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror

2 years without water, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror

2 years without water

Out of the 350 families in BDA Layout on Old Airport Road, 40 are not getting water for the last two years; their only source of water is private tankers

Shashwathi Bhanukumar

Posted On Friday, March 05, 2010 at 04:31:18 AM

We fume when we don’t get sufficient water during summer. But the plight of residents of BDA Layout, on Old Airport Road, is even worse. They have not been getting water for the past two years.



What is peculiar in the layout is, out of the 350 families, only 40 are not receiving water. “Before 2007, we used to get an adequate supply of water. Sometimes, water used to overflow and we had to stop it by shutting the valve. Now, it’s another extreme,” says K Bhaskar Rao, a resident.

While 300 homes receive water through a pipeline from Domlur, 40 get it from Ulsoor via Jeevan Bima Nagar. Previously, these 40 homes too used to receive water from Domlur, but in 2007, their pipeline was linked to that from Ulsoor.

“Whenever we complain, the Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials say the water pressure from Ulsoor is low. Engineers in-charge, Prabhakar Reddy and Srinivas Reddy, conduct an inspection every now and then in our area. Water comes the next day and stop again. How long can this go on?” asks Subramanya M, another resident.

For the past two years, residents are getting water through private tankers. There are some like Geetha B S, a housewife, who gets it through the BWSSB tankers. “First, we have to go to the BWSSB office at Indiranagar, collect the bill and hand it over to the tanker people about 10 km away. Only after that will the tankers come, that too at their convenience,” says Geetha.

These residents get water through tankers once in two days. “We pay Rs 250 per tanker. Every month, our water (tanker) bill comes to Rs 3,750. This is the amount we have been spending every month for the past two years,” says Subramanya.

The tanker water is also not clean. “There have been cases where old people and the children have fallen ill; they had to taken to the hospital,” said Bhaskar.

According to a BWSSB staff, the valve has to be replaced to ensure smooth flow of water. But this solution begs for action.

Assistant Executive Engineer Prabhakar Reddy said the “water is there, but it is not enough”. When enquired further, he refused to comment.

Vertical expansion

Vertical expansion

Vertical expansion

Bangalore is constantly expanding with commercial spaces spilling over into residential areas. High-rises may be the answer to the ever-burgeoning populace of the city, writes Ruth Dsouza Prabhu

Over a period of time, Bangalore’s girth has stretched to its maximum capacity. Rapid development has left town planners hardly any time to assess the situation and give growth a push in the right direction. As a result, you have a city that seems to be slowly choking on its self. Traffic snarls, concrete jungles, commercial spaces spilling over into residential areas and greenery slowly, but surely vanishing from the city landscape is evident. It looks as though Bangalore is no longer a contender for the title of the garden city.

But there is a solution to these problems — high-rises. This concept has gathered steam in Bangalore. Instead building individual houses, authorities have decided that it will be prudent for the city to grow vertically. Maneesh Gupta, Associate Director (consulting and valuation), Colliers International says, “There is enough demand for high-rises for both, residential and commercial spaces. There is no reason to believe that the demand is short-term. The fact that the topmost floors of apartments command a premium over the other floors and builders levy a floor rise charge on apartments in Bangalore as well as many other cities shows that there is an increasing appetite for high-rises.”
V Gopal, Senior Vice-President (projects & planning), Prestige Group opines that in the past few years, Bangalore has been growing at an unprecedented rate. The city has witnessed migration of people from other parts of the country, which has resulted in its exponential growth. With the city centre getting increasingly saturated, vacant land has become a scarcity. Hence, there is an increasing need to make most of the limited space available. And, the most logical solution is high-rises as they can accommodate maximum space under the given circumstances while providing the option of maintaining open spaces around the development.

The foundation stone
Those scouting around for a high-rise home know that people will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the number and styles of high-rise residential projects on offer. When a real estate developer decides on creating a high-rise, infrastructure is of primary importance, needless to say. The foundation too needs to be strong and sustainable. Ashish Puravankara, Director, Puravankara Projects Limited, says, “The concept of high rise construction is highly location specific and has a lot to do with available Floor Space Indices (FSI) at any given location. However, the availability of necessary infrastructure to support high-rise buildings in a given area, at all times, must be taken into consideration.”

He also adds that some guidelines like NBC code, fire fighting norms, height restriction from airport authorities have to be taken into consideration for developing a high rise construction. Basics like wind direction and wind pressure, soil condition, specifications of windows also are important.

The official spokesperson of Nitesh Estates Ltd adds that infrastructure for construction of a high-rise totally depends on the height of the building. For example, in Bangalore, a building above 15 meters is classified as a high-rise.

If a building goes beyond 12 floors, there will be additional increase in the construction cost (cranes, labour etc), service costs such as the pumping capacity for firefighting systems will go up). Also, high strength materials will be needed for the right structures to be provided.

FSI and FAR – the ideal combination
For those familiar with real estate development requirements, the term Floor Space Indices (FSI) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has considerable bearing. Commenting on the importance of FSI on high rise construction, J C Sharma, MD, Sobha Developers Ltd says, “High-rise buildings give more open spaces within plots resulting in better environment, more greenery and parks.”

According to Nitesh Estates Ltd officials, “Whether FSI is low or high, one can still go for vertical development. More the number of floors, greater will be the space left open. This will also help in ensuring adequate place around the building, which will take care of the light and ventilation needs of residents.”

Maneesh Gupta adds, “Higher the FSI, higher is the quantum of construction in a particular piece of land. Increase in FSI means more developable area for developers and hence more revenue. High-rise developments are essentially a factor of the building regulations applicable in the city, and more specifically the relevance of FSI and ground coverage coupled with the extent of availability of land parcels for development of various asset classes as per a master plan.”

In terms of advantages of FSI to the builders, Ashish Puravankara feels that high-rise buildings provide a means of saving on land costs. They open up wider arenas to operate on as there is more open space and less ground coverage. It also adds value to the project. This means projects will be cheaper on a unit-to-unit basis and also more plentiful in profitable areas, which is beneficial for investors and their eventual buyers alike. V Gopal of Sobha Developers Ltd on the other hand feels that the bylaw of BBMP prescribes the FSI to high-rises and that there are no specific advantages to builders.
(Continued from Page 1)
Elaborating on the possible challenges that real estate developers face in terms of high-rise construction, Gagan Singh, CEO (Project Development Services), Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj says, “Unlike in developed countries, enforcing strict norms with regard to structural safety, disaster, environment and fire safety presents quite a challenge in India. Other factors affecting the increase of high-rise buildings in India are the FAR norms.”

She explains that FAR parameters vary from state to state and are governed by the respective city development authorities. Increase or limitation of FAR is not city-specific but area-specific. FAR restrictions are necessary in heritage zones featuring monuments, and wherever higher FAR would destroy the urban fabric of a particular area. This has been the primary area of contention.

She adds further, “Every city will have areas where higher FAR is permissible to encourage or accommodate growth of a certain market segment – the same FAR would not be applicable in other areas of the city. Whenever a new area opens up for development, a master plan that designates the land use zone, development control regulations and FAR permissible for various uses is laid down. Essentially, city authorities are in charge of planning the development of the cities.” J C Sharma says, “Many a time interpretation of bylaws becomes problematic. From the safety point of view as well, high-rise buildings have to comply with additional fire norms.”

Maneesh Gupta adds, “With the improvement in construction technology, there is no technical problem in construction or maintenance of high-rises. Most governments are willing to give permission for them and there are not many roadblocks. Height restrictions because of airports in the vicinity may be the only problem that may be difficult to circumvent. However, that is a location specific problem and not pandemic.”
Gupta also informs that higher use of FSI may create problems in terms of additional pressure on infrastructure like roads, water supply, sewage, electric power lines etc. Hence permissions for high-rises are given taking into account the availability of such infrastructure at a particular location.

Question of sustainability
Gagan Singh opines that high rise buildings are extremely expensive in terms of construction, services and utilities. They are not necessarily more environmentally sustainable, given the fact of their very high energy consumption even with the implementation of green building parameters.

“Realistically, we are still a long way off from seeing sustainable skyscrapers as a norm rather than exceptions to the rule in India. Costs will continue to dictate most construction companies in this country and the fact remains that skyscrapers – sustainable or otherwise, involve huge costs,” she adds.

J C Sharma feels that high-rises are the most appropriate solution to cater to the present demand. But city infrastructure needs to be upgraded to support the buildings.
Gupta sums it up, “Maintenance costs for high-rise buildings are typically higher than that of their low-rise counterparts. However, that is not a deterrent towards constructing or occupying a high-rise. Environmentally, both high-rise and low-rise buildings can achieve a platinum rating as far as Green Building Council (GBC) is concerned. The height of the building will not impede its sustainability.”