Lifeline for rivers to solve city water woes

Lifeline for rivers to solve city water woes

NR Madhusudhan

First Published : 11 Nov 2009 10:34:23 AM IST

Last Updated : 11 Nov 2009 12:50:32 PM IST

BANGALORE: Two high-level committees headed by principal secretaries of the Urban Development and the Forest, Environment and Ecology departments have been formed to revive and maintain the ecological equilibrium of Arkavathi and Kumudvathi rivers. One committee, headed by principal secretary of Urban Development D Thangaraj, is working on enhancing water flow into these rivers by clearing obstacles and the other, headed by principal secretary of Environment and Ecology, Meera Saxena, is trying to make the rivers pollution free.

Nearly 14 departments including BWSSB, Mines and Geology, Revenue, Watershed and Minor Irrigation, and zilla panchayats, deputy commissioners, BESCOM and town planning authorities situated along the courses of the rivers will be involved in reviving them. Therefore, the heads of all these departments have been made the members of the committees.

Till the first Cauvery water supply project was commissioned in 1974, drinking water was pumped into the city from Hesarghatta reservoir and Thippagondanahalli dam (TG Halli dam). Till recently, Arkavathi used to fill around 200 small tanks and the Hesarghatta reservoir before reaching TG Halli dam. Though there has been no major difference in rainfall, according to the meteorological department, neither the tanks nor Hesarghatta reservoir are filling up and water from the catchments beyond the reservoir is not reaching TG Halli dam.

BWSSB has stopped pumping water to the city from Hesarghatta reservoir since 1986 as it is not getting sufficiently filled and it is more than 11 years since the water level in TG Halli dam reached its full capacity. Encroachments, increase in dryness of the top soil due to borewells and many check dams constructed by the watershed department are major causes that impede the water flow in these rivers.

The committees also plan to initiate a process to desilt all tanks in the course of the Arkavathi river. The water that flows to TG Halli dam through Arkavathi is polluted due to the discharge of waste and effluents in the rivers catchment areas. They will also ensure the implementation of pollution control norms and guidelines issued by the government to regulate activities in the catchment of TG Halli dam in a notification in 2003. BWSSB chairman PB Ramamurthy said, “We are exploring every means to increase the water flow in these rivers and thereby maintain the ecological equilibrium in the region. If the Hesarghatta reservoir too gets some water, as expected, it will help us meet the ever increasing drinking water needs of the city.’’

m madhusudhan@expressbuzz.com

24x7 water supply in more wards of 3 Karnataka cities

24x7 water supply in more wards of 3 Karnataka cities: "Making a presentation on 24x7 water supply system to the members of the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) council here on Wednesday, Mr Srivastav said that plans are being made for expanding the system in these cities.

Water leakage is the least in the three city corporation limits where the system has been introduced on a pilot basis. Water leakage was about 7 per cent in these areas compared to 35 per cent in Bangalore, he said.

Started in January 2008, the system benefits nearly 1.25 lakh people in the three city corporation limits."

KUIDFC, which has taken up various urban infrastructure development projects under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Management Project (KUDCEMP) in 10 coastal towns , wants to implement the system in these towns also. To begin with, Mangalore, Puttur, Ullal, Udupi and Kundapur will be considered. A quick study has already been done , and the detailed study will be completed within three months, he said.

A good water supply source, efficient supply network and effective leakage control system are essential for the implementation of the 24x7 water supply system, he said.

Mr Srivastav said that at a time when KUIDFC is creating assets through investments, it is essential to maintain the assets thus created. However, maintenance was not a part of some of the earlier projects taken up by KUIDFC.

A decision has been taken now to include both asset creation and maintenance in the detailed project reports of the new works taken up in northern Karnataka districts, he added.

Rs 1,100 cr water project for city

Rs 1,100 cr water project for city: "Rs 1,100 cr water project for city

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 11 Nov 2009 03:44:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 11 Nov 2009 08:27:49 AM IST
BANGALORE: Minister for Urban Development Suresh Kumar on Tuesday met a delegation of experts from Sweden and discussed the technology aspects related to ‘Kannada Ganga’ - the 24/7 drinking water supply scheme envisaged in some 16 urban pockets in the state.
Sweden’s Head of Operations in India - Camilla Laag, and Head of Business Development Manab Rakshit, were among those present at the meeting.
The estimated cost of ‘Kannada Ganga’ is Rs 1,100 crore. The project will be implemented by Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board."

SPML wins consolidated orders worth Rs 278 crore for sewage projects

SPML wins consolidated orders worth Rs 278 crore for sewage projects: ".

SPML wins consolidated orders worth Rs 278 crore for sewage projects

Rs 127 crore order for providing Sewage System at Preet Vihar, Delhi from Delhi Jal Board; Rs 150.71 crore order for T .K. Halli pipe line project from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board

Mumbai, Maharashtra, November 10, 2009 /India PRwire/ -- Subhash Projects And Marketing Ltd (SPML) one of India's leading infrastructure development companies has won cumulative orders worth Rs 277.71 crore. This includes an order from Delhi Jal Board worth Rs 127 crore for providing Sewage System at Preet Vihar, Delhi; and an order worth Rs 150.71 crore from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage board. The order wins reiterate SPML's growing strength and expertise in the environmental engineering segment.

The Delhi Jal Board order has been commissioned on Design, Build and Operate Basis and involves construction of 53.5 MGD sewage pumping station, rising main and other related associated appurtenant works at Preet Vihar, Delhi. Scope of work involved in the project consists of design, construction, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, trial run, operation and maintenance for 10 years after 1 year defect liability period of the complete works.

The project from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board involves fabrication and laying of Clear Water Transmission Main from T K Halli to J K Doddi including associated works and construction of Surge Tank at J K Doddi. The proposed Clear Water Transmission Main which is part of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme - Stage IV, Phase II of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board, commences from proposed T K Halli Pumping Station and runs up to the proposed Surge Tank at J K Doddi Village. T K Halli pumping station is about 90 Kms south-west of Bangalore in T K Halli village and J K Doddi is about 70 Kms south-west of Bangalore - NH-209.

Mr. Subhash Sethi, Vice Chairman, SPML, commented, "Rising population and the decadent water and sewerage infrastructure of the country is bound to create challenges. SPML has consistently partnered with the government to mitigate these issues and convert them into opportunities and set in place a robust infrastructure for water and sewerage management. As a Total Water Solutions Provider, we are well poised to offer a wide array of services and solutions in the domain of water and waste water"

Leaking sewage to get a fix with BWSSB plan

Leaking sewage to get a fix with BWSSB plan

NR Madhusudhan

First Published : 04 Nov 2009 04:11:00 AM IST

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has come up with an “Environment Action Plan” (EAP) to stop the damage caused by leakage of sewage and its flow in storm water drains.

According to the plan, all the major sewerage lines that have more than 450-mm diameter pipes would be replaced with much stronger pipes of the same or higher diameter to ensure free flow of sewage and to stop leakages. These pipelines would be replaced in all the four sewage valleys - Koramangala, Challaghatta, Hebbal and Vrishabavathi.

New lines would be drawn to connect all the illegal sewage connections that have been diverted to the storm water drains due to the lack of sewage lines. The illegal sewage connections connected to the storm water drains would be legalised by connecting them to the existing underground sewage lines.

BWSSB has made three detailed project reports - EAP A, B and C - and has obtained the government’s approval for the same.

Around 245 kms of pipelines would be replaced in the three plans put together. The government has also sanctioned Rs 35 crore for implementation of the plan in Hebbal constituency. BWSSB will be spending Rs 32 crore for the replacement of 6-km long pipeline in the constituency and the remaining amount would be spent on repairing the lateral pipelines.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Rural Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has already sanctioned Rs 46 crore for EAP-A and Rs 176 crore for EAP-B and is in the process of sanctioning the required amount for EAP-C.

A BWSSB official said, “Our aim is to ensure that the sewage does not flow in the storm water drains or roads. With the implementation of this plan, the ill-effects of sewage flowing in the open will be mitigated; therefore, we also call it the zero sewage plan.”

madhusudhan@epmltd.com

Nagarjuna Construction bags Rs 722-cr orders

Nagarjuna Construction bags Rs 722-cr orders: "Nagarjuna Construction Company today secured five orders aggregating to Rs 722 crore. The construction major bagged the first order of Rs 328 crore from Bangalore water supply and sewerage board at west Bangalore that will be completed over the next 26 months.


The third has come from Jain Housing Chennai for residential apartments valued at Rs 100 crore to be completed over a period of 12 months, fourth from Rail Vikas Nigam, New Delhi worth Rs 91 crore and the last from Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply of Rs 60 crore to be completed in another two years.

At the Bombay Stock Exchange the shares of the construction company was trading at Rs 167.60 at 12:07 down 0.56 per cent at Rs 168.55 from its previous close."