Water council on the anvil to attract private players The Hindu : Front Page

<cite>The Hindu : Front Page : Water council on the anvil to attract private players</cite>: "

To ensure better water supply in urban areas and to make the sector attractive for private players, the State Government is thinking of setting up a regulatory body on the lines of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission.The State Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Council, which is to be the regulator, has been conceptualised as an 'independent body' that will take over all the functions of the Government with regard to the water and sanitation sector except the power to formulate policies.Restructuring tariffIt is learnt that one of the important mandates of the council will be to 'develop clarity on the kind of private participation that can be entered into', apart from restructuring tariff rates, as recommended by the Urban Drinking Water and Sanitation Policy of 2002.'Setting up of the independent council is a precursor to full-blown privatisation. When private entities enter the field, they do not have to deal with a government body that is accountable to the general public but to a small council,' says Kshitij Urs, a rights activist. (snip)

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A long wait for water -Deccan Herald

<cite>Deccan Herald - A long wait for water</cite>: "

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has assured the residents of 72 wards, in erstwhile CMC areas, of providing Cauvery water by the end of December. And for this, the Board is getting an additional 110 MLD (million litres per day) of Cauvery water by strengthening its pumping stations at a cost of Rs 14 crore. This project was recently inaugurated in K R Puram where the residents were supplied with the additional water the department has generated.But the residents of Kodigehalli and Virupakshapura, who have also been assured with supply of Cauvery water, are unsure if the board will fulfill its promise, the main reason being — the department hasn't completed the required pipeline work as yet. 'Work to lay the pipes is still on. BWSSB officials have been telling us that we will have Cauvery water by the end of this month. With less than two weeks left in this month and so much work to be completed, do they actually expect us to believe them?,' asks Anjaneya Gowda, a resident of Kodigehalli.

Collection of beneficiaries’ contribution for providing Cauvery water began in 2004 itself and since then, hundreds of residents have contributed with respect to extent of their properties. A majority of these people are those living in newly formed layouts. “Residents of new layouts have paid the required sum as the CMC officers had made it compulsory to get their building plan sanctioned. However we, who have been living in Kodigehalli for many years, have not paid the amount. Once BWSSB starts providing us with sufficient Cauvery water, we will pay the dues,” said Kari Gowda, also a resident of Kodigehalli.
(snip)

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Sebi will help to bolster municipal bond market - livemint

Sebi will help to bolster municipal bond market - livemint: "

In January 1998, when the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation issued its own municipal bonds without a state government guarantee, many frowned.The Rs100 crore issue, to support the water supply and sewerage components of a Rs589 crore infrastructure investment programme, was a success. The results encouraged many other municipal corporations to float bonds with investment grade ratings and investors, both private and public, grabbed the opportunity. Despite the good performance, the municipal bond market is only 0.1% of the total corporate bonds traded in India.
In the US, where such bonds have been in the market for the past 120 years, municipal bonds constitute about 12% of the overall corporate bond market in the country.
In the last six years, municipalities in India issued 13 bonds amounting to Rs733 crore. In the US, the market of such bonds is $2.5 trillion (Rs98.5 trillion).
An international conference on developing India’s municipal bond market in Mumbai on Monday emphasized the need for encouraging investors to consider municipal bonds as an attractive alternative to other financial instruments. (snip)

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‘5 p.c. of middle-class have rainwater harvesting units’ The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘5 p.c. of middle-class have rainwater harvesting units’: "

About 80 per cent of middle-class people in Bangalore do not know that the sources of piped water to the city are the Cauvery and the Arkavathy. The percentage goes up to 88 among low income groups.As much as 63 per cent from low income groups do not even know the existence of these rivers and only 24 per cent know that the Cauvery was one of the sources. Among the middle-class, 92 per cent do not know how far water travels to reach the city.About 35 per cent from the low income groups still depend on public taps and hand pumps for their daily supply of water, while only 5 per cent of the educated middle-class have rainwater harvesting system in their houses.These figures were made public here on Thursday from a survey relating to 'water literacy' conducted by the Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA). The survey covered about 3,000 households from both the middle-class and the low income groups across the city. It was carried out in September and October. About 60 per cent of respondents were women. (snip)

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23 units asked to close down The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 23 units asked to close down: "

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued orders for the closure of 23 polluting industries as part of its efforts towards a pollution-free environment in Bangalore.When the KSPCB took up an initiative to combat water pollution problems in the city, it was observed that large number of small scale/tiny units that were operating in the unorganised sector since several years were discharging water to drains or sewerage lines causing pollution.In a press release, H.C. Sharat Chandra, Chairman of the Board, said the KSPCB had received a list of units from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike which were allegedly discharging effluents into the storm water drain. The list mainly included small-scale/tiny units engaged in fabric/yarn dyeing, electroplating, engineering and other activities and have been operating for several years. (snip)

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Why are we denied Cauvery water? ask village residents The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Why are we denied Cauvery water? ask village residents: "

Residents of 19 villages around the Bommasandra Industrial Area here, numbering about 1.25 lakh, want a simple question answered: why are they denied Cauvery water when the industries, whose effluents they allege have polluted their groundwater and rendered then unfit for drinking, are being supplied Cauvery water by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)?Members of the Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat representing Hebbagodi, Bommasandra, Chandapura, Hennagara and Jigani have held around 10 rounds of meeting with various officials demanding that they be provided Cauvery water as the water they get from most borewells in the region is not potable.So far, three independent studies have been conducted on the quality of groundwater in this region by the Mines and Geology Department, the Indian Institute of Science's Centre for Sustainable Technologies and Bangalore University's Department of Environmental Sciences. Though they do not state a specific link between industries in the region and pollution, they establish categorically that a majority of random water samples here are unfit for drinking. Many villagers are now forced to get water from sources far away or buy drinking water. (snip)

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Board decides to fleece ‘defaulters’ The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Board decides to fleece ‘defaulters’: "

For property owners in 72 wards in newly added zones of the city, Cauvery water will be available from December but at a premium.Property owners will have to pay the Beneficiary Capital Contribution as per the dimensions of the site, then a fine upwards of Rs. 100 will have to be remitted along with the contribution.While there is no contribution for houses of 600 sq. ft. and less, for sites measuring between 1200 sq. ft and 2400 sq. ft, Rs. 5,000 will have to be paid.The fine, counted from August 1, 2005 is Rs. 100 a month. For sites 2,400 sq. ft and above, the contribution is Rs. 10,000 and the fine is Rs. 200 a month.The contribution along with the fine can be paid in 24 instalments along with the water bills, according to a Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) spokesperson. (snip)

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Many slums get water once in 90 days The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Many slums get water once in 90 days: "

Urban poor from over 40 slums in Yelahanka Assembly Constituency protested in front of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on Wednesday against lack of water supply in these areas on Wednesday.'For the past three months there has been no water supply. People have to wait for more than four hours to get water at Rs. 3 a pot,' said Sheela, organising secretary of Women's Voice, which led the protests.Terming it 'a violation of human rights', Ms. Sheela said the burden was most borne by women as they were the ones who had to walk long distances.In a memorandum submitted at Governor Rameshwar Thakur's office, the group said the BWSSB's failure had encouraged private players to take over the supply of water. The memorandum requested the Governor to direct the BWSSB to provide water supply to all slums in Yelahanka Assembly Constituency and to build a water storage tank to supply water to Idagha Mohalla slum, Tank Mohalla slum and Medina Mohalla slum, located in the elevated terrains of D.J. Halli. (snip)

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BWSSB’s penalty unfair, say consumers The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BWSSB’s penalty unfair, say consumers: "

Cauvery water for the 72 newly-added areas of the city comes with an expensive rider: a hefty penalty for those who did not pay up in time. Consumers are not amused.As a 'beneficiary' of the new project which will deliver 100 million litres of water from the Cauvery every day, individuals should have paid the capital contribution by July 31, 2005, the deadline set by the State Government.In case money was not paid by then, penalties of at least Rs. 2,700, Rs. 5,400 or Rs. 8,100, depending on the site dimensions, will have to be paid, says the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).Penalty amountInterestingly, the penalty amounts to 54 per cent of the original contribution.'I did not pay the contribution because they had not even laid the water pipes then. My argument was that you can ask me to pay once you are starting water supply. I am willing to pay the beneficiary capital contribution but not the penalty,' said A.V. Shama Rao of Ramamurthynagar. (snip)

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Special water adalats in new BBMP areas The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Special water adalats in new BBMP areas: "

With 72 wards in the city all set to receive the coveted Cauvery water from December, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is conducting special water adalats in these areas to give details about new water connections and the formalities to be completed for the connections. The adalats will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on November 29 and 30. (snip)

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Taps run dry, tanker rates touch sky-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Taps run dry, tanker rates touch sky-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India: "

Those living in Hanumanagar, Someshwaranagar, Srikanteshwaranagar, Thippasandra or Domlur understand the gravity of the water shutdown better than most others. Mahadev M N and other residents of Ganesha Block in Mahalakshmi Layout depend on their neighbours' sumps for water. 'We haven't received water for three days. How can we store water for the next three days? Many residents have also called tankers, but it's costing us a heavy sum. BWSSB should have made alternative arrangements,' he said.Hemalatha Devanga of Someshwaranagar says community borewell in her area has dried up. 'How many houses can store water in sumps? We have no choice but to depend on tankers, and most of us are apprehensive about the quality of water.'

Developed areas like Hanumanagar in Jeevanbimanagar haven’t been spared either. Water is supplied here once in three days, and at best for an hour. Fortunately, given the early warning, some residents called tankers and made arrangements for the week. Not everybody is as lucky in this area, said R L Nathan of J B Nagar III Stage.

Jayakumar, a businessman of the same area, added: "Water suppliers are acting pricey. Since there was no pressure in the past two days, we couldn’t store any water. I was charged Rs 450 for one tanker load."

In some parts of Rajajinagar, there’s been no water supply since Sunday and residents could not store water as there was no supply even on Tuesday, complained N Radhakrishna.

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People stock up water The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News

The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : People stock up water: "

Even as the taps run dry in several parts of the city, people have switched to economy mode and stocked up water as much as they could in buckets, tanks and anything that could be used for storage.The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on Tuesday shut down a part of its operations at its pumping station in Torekadinahalli, leading to a shortage of about 270 million litres of water to the city, affecting 30 per cent of the areas. The shut down is to link a new water line that will supply an additional 100 million litres of water every day from Cauvery to 72 wards in newly added areas of Bangalore from December under the Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project.Bhavana K. of Sanjayanagar says, 'After I read in the papers that there will be no water for three days, we stocked up in buckets and water bottles. We even flush only half the tank in our commode to save water.'While scores of people have stored water in their overhead tanks and sumps, those with no storage capacity are left high and dry.(snip)

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Deccan Herald - BWSSB kiosks are quite choosy

Deccan Herald - BWSSB kiosks are quite choosy: "

Currency notes that could be jocularly referred to as `middle-aged' are the only ones that make it through the slits of the kiosks installed at the 24-hour bill payment centres of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB).Altogether 74 such payment kiosks have been installed in the City (newly added BBMP areas do not have them). Five such kiosks come under the Basavangudi South IV sub-division. When this Metrolife reporter assessed their performance, the men manning these centres, BWSSB officials as well as the public were more than eager to vent their grievances.Following the installation of these machines during 2003–2004 by Tata Consultancy Services, water bill payments are accepted only through them. Notes of the denomination of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 are accepted and any balance due from the department is adjusted with the succeeding month's water payment. There are men posted round-the-clock to help customers pay their water bills. Notes that are crumpled or cut or folded are not allowed.

A new 100-rupee note inserted by a woman into the slit of the BWSSB kiosk at Nagendra Block simply refused to stay put in. Despite seven attempts, the note kept popping out. She then had to insert a not-so-new Rs 100 note into the alloted slot and then clear her bill.
(snip)

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Chaos on the way-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Chaos on the way-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India: "

Scores of tall, massive apartments dominate the skyline. Rows of glass-and-steel facade complexes. Hundreds of sedans, vans, buses and trucks lined up for kilometres. This is part of Greater Bangalore — the 14-km stretch between Sarjapur Road and KR Puram. Testimony to the realty boom and expanding horizons of the IT spectrum.But this burst of prosperity is dogged by a ticking time bomb - inadequate infrastructure. There are about 2,500 mega apartment structures with dwellings of more than 1.5 lakh individual units. There are about 500 massive office complexes with over 1 million sqft of office space.There is no official count of medium and small apartments, and commercial complexes. When these are fully occupied, there will be more than 3 lakh residents in this sector and over 1 lakh employees of the knowledge industry will use this road. (snip)

Water and sanitation are absent in all layouts. While residents of private layouts bank on borwells, the richer lot resort to water tankers. The residents share a borewell between three to four houses, the builders have sunk three to four borewells for each project. The water supplier makes a fortune as his customer base is in thousands. For a few hundreds, every third day each household avail of the supply service.

The BWSSB has done literally nothing to provide water and sanitation facilities in these areas. With the board drawing up plans to develop these areas under the Rs 650-crore Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project (GBWASP), the project is still in the initial stages. A detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared for the Mahadevapura CMC and sent for approval.

The BWSSB is yet to begin furnishing the DPR and detailed design report for Bommnahalli CMC. The only saving grace for wards which come under both CMCs is that they will receive 100 MLD water by this year end.

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ASIA-PACIFIC WATER SUMMIT: INDIA: LACK OF WATER, LACK OF EDUCATION by KALINGA SENEVIRATNE: 24 NOVEMBER 2007 (MaximsNews Network)

ASIA-PACIFIC WATER SUMMIT: INDIA: LACK OF WATER, LACK OF EDUCATION by KALINGA SENEVIRATNE: 24 NOVEMBER 2007 (MaximsNews Network): "

Women used to travel two to three miles to fetch water. Girls and women used to do this work. To wash clothes on certain days we had to go to the road at 1 (a.m.) and do without sleep. We were not able to send our children to school because they had to come with us to fetch water,' said Muniamma, a 40-year-old mother of two living in MRS Palya, a slum community near a large Muslim cemetery. 'There was no peace in this community those days. They had to wait in a queue all night to get a bowl of water. Some young girls who go there get molested,' said Rahat Begum, a community organiser and coordinator of the non-government organisation Association for Volunteer Action and Services (AVAS) where she has worked for 34 years among the slums of Bangalore. This city is known as India’s information technology capital. In some areas, slums have given way to spanking new buildings of high-tech companies -- local and foreign -- employing thousands of graduates from India’s elite technological institutions, servicing global markets from the United States to Japan.

A stone’s throw away is a reminder of another India -- the slums housing the so-called untouchables shunned by the rest of the community. Bangalore has about 365 slums, which are home to a fifth of the city’s 6.5 million population and most lack water and sanitation services.

Salma Sadhika, a social development specialist with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), observed: "The contrast between the two only serves to reinforce the enormous difficulties faced by the urban poor and the urgent need for new initiatives to address the situation."

Public service utilities like the Bangalore water and sewerage board could not give water and sanitation connections to the informal settlements because the latter do not have land titles.

Years of lobbying by community-based organisations like AVAS finally persuaded public authorities to find a way around this legal requirement. At Sundamnagar, for a community of around 300 households, mostly involved in casual labour and the service industry, AVAS was able to collectively buy land and work out a land title.

AVAS also gave collateral to the bank so each family could borrow up to 20,000 rupees (500 US dollars) to build a house. "We’re building people before building houses," explained M. Nagarajaiah, a community organiser at AVAS.

"We have to build, empower, organise and educate them." AVAS gave emphasis to educating women, particularly in water and health management, by setting up a water and sanitation (WATSAN) committee in each community. Most committee members are women.

At MRS Palya, Begum said, it is the women who maintain the system. "If the water doesn’t come and leakages happen, they immediately take it up (with those concerned)," she said. "Most of the men watch TV at home all day, and those who work spend most of their money on alcohol." Sundamnagar was supposed to be the pilot project of the partnership between the Bangalore water board and the slum communities in creating water connectivity.

"Today it is a collapsed project," said Nagarajaiah. "Water is not coming to the homes and people are refusing to pay." The women in the WATSAN committee, with the support of AVAS, took the case to the chairman of the Bangalore water board.

The problem, they said, was that water was being diverted to other communities and water pressure was not enough to bring water into their home taps. They had to dig pits in front of their homes to get water from the pipes at ground level.

"Monthly meter readings are also not being made, and we refuse to pay bills for a service we are not receiving as promised," said Josephine, a water and sanitation committee member and community health coordinator.

"(But) water is essential for us, so we are trying to work out a solution." In MRS Palya, the residents regularly get two hours of water a day. "That is more than enough for each family," says Begum. "They have time to sleep, take a bath and do all the housework."

The community is clean because there are toilets inside the houses and they have adequate water supply. "Before, we could not send our children to school because they had to fetch water at midnight," said Muniamma.

"Today, the children go to school regularly and they are doing well." "Society thinks that we are a poor slum class and we will not get our children educated and we will allow them to just roam around the community," said Vanitha, whose husband died 20 years ago. Their two children have completed high school.

"We are proud to say that since we got this water facility our children have been doing well. Many of them are going to pre-university college, technical education. All the residents are happy," she said. "The environment is very clean, there is no pollution in the slums. We used to get many diseases, now we are getting trained in computers, in management, and many are getting degrees. I’m very happy," said Murthy, a youth leader at MRS Palya who has already completed one year of a hotel management diploma. (snip)

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