Rs 5-cr for lake facelift

Rs 5-cr for lake facelift

Minister for Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board Katta Subramanya Naidu has ordered a survey to assess the extent of encroachment on the 44-acre Kempambudi Lake in the City. The Bangalore Urban District Deputy Commissioner has been asked to submit the report within 15 days.

The survey is a prelude to the government’s plans for the rejuvenation of the tank. An estimated Rs 5 crore shall be spent on the same, it was noted.The Minister, who inspected the tank and its limits on Tuesday morning, took note of residents’ complaints that almost 7 acres of the tank was encroached upon.

Naidu also ordered for immediate action to check the flow of sewage into the lake. Civic agencies involved in the lake’s maintenance were told to complete the work before the onset of monsoon.

If need be, another Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) shall be set up near the lake, he said.

The residents complained of water contamination and noted that desilting work had been pending since many months. They held the officials responsible for water contamination, saying that they had failed to provide a separate line for the sewage flow.

The Minister was accompanied by local MLA Hemachandra Sagar, and other civic officials.

HCC to invest Rs41,500 crore in Gujarat luxury township

This is called new urbanism?..luxury township..exclusive by uprooting people...

domain-b.com : HCC to invest Rs41,500 crore in Gujarat luxury township

Ajit Gulbchand's Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has signed two agreements with the Gujarat government to develop a waterfront city at Dholera and a water pipeline projects at a total investment of Rs 41,500 crore.

The waterfront city project will be spread over 4000 acres at the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) on the lines of Lavasa, India's first and largest man made Hill City being built by HCC near Pune, at a cost of Rs.40,000 crore.

Dholera, on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), is located at the Gulf of Cambay about 129km from Ahmedabad.

The water pipeline projects are with Narmada water resources, water supply and Kalpasar department to develop three water pipeline worth Rs1,500 crore.

The three water pipelines project envisages inter basin transfer of water from N M C to various reservoirs such as the reservoirs based inter basin transfer of water, to Dharoi reservoir in Mehsana district, Sipu and Dantiwada reservoir in Banaskantha district.

''The concept of new urbanism is gaining momentum globally and we are happy to initiate this modern and sustainable WaterFront City in Gujarat, based on this model," said Ajit Gulabchand, chairman and managing director, HCC. "We are confident of replicating our successful Lavasa business model which has already established a large network of business partners. The innovative nature of this project is matched only by the Gujarat government's keen interest to develop world-class infrastructure in the state."

HCC says it will will fund the first phase of the project through private equity and debt, a part from it's own investment while the balance through the self cash generating route.

The actual construction work will start after various regulatory approvals like detailed project report, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and after development of the master plan of the region.

The initial phase is expected to be ready in the next three years and the entire project is due to be completed in 8-10 years time. The new Water Front City at Dholera is expected to employment around 50,000 workers.

HCC's 15,000-acre Lavasa township has a 20sq-km man-made lake, and is India's first man-made hill station.

The township itself has been master-planned by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum to develop into a world-class, integrated urban and economic centre providing an aspirational lifestyle and facilities where the people can live, work, learn and play, in harmony with the highest environmental ideals.

The company has already established tie-ups with international as well as domestic institutions such as ITC Hotels (Fortune Select) and Accor (Pullman, Novotel and Grand Mercure) in the field of hospitality, Oxford University (Said Business School), Girls' Day School Trust (UK), Ecole hotelier de Lausanne (Switzerland), Symbiosis (Pune) and Christ University (Bangalore) in the field of education and Apollo Hospitals in health and wellness.

Through its subsidiary HCC Real Estate, the company owns 60 per cent of the Lavasa township venture, which has already won some of the world's most prestigious planning awards from The Congress of New Urbanism, in the US and The American Society of Landscape Architects - the only development in India to have qualified for this recogntion.

As you sow, so you reap? Deccan Herald

Deccan Herald - As you sow, so you reap?

Tomorrow is Sankranthi, the festival of harvest. And most parts of Karnataka will celebrate. It’s also that transitory period, ‘Sankramana’ when the sun enters the sign of Makara, or Capricorn. Though urban Karnataka is far removed from its agrarian roots, the traditional distribution of ellu and bella (in little ziplock covers!) in urban neighbourhoods continues as a symbol of our essentially agrarian past.

Look carefully at the ingredients distributed. All traditional crops available locally: sugarcane, banana, coconut, gram, groundnut, til. In that sense, Sankranthi is really a festival of the local farmer. And fittingly, it is the farmer who should be at the centre of any discourse on festivities like Sankranthi. It is a festival of the farmer, and for the farmer.

In the Mysore region, like the village of Siddalingapura, the harvest is generally a time of heightened expectations. There’s the ritual of Kitchchu hayisuvudu (Cattle with their horns painted and decorated with turmeric cross over a burning heap of haystack). Farmers along with their cattle assemble on Mysore-Bangalore road near Siddalingapura to perform the ritual, even as curious onlookers gather.

Nagendra, a farmer tells Spectrum that the young and old alike gear up for the ritual in villages like Siddalingapura and Hosahalli in Mandya district. Earlier, Kurubara Halli near PKTB Sanatorium on KRS road in Mysore also drew huge crowds, but not on a such a scale anymore.

But, if Sankranthi is about the harvest, what then is the harvest like this year? “Where are the crops for us to celebrate the festival of harvest?” a Mysore farmer asks. Thanks to the rapid urbanisation, the fields have all gone and farmers have taken to other professions.

The best of times; the worst of times

When we asked Bandeppa (48) of Panegaon in Gulbarga taluk about what Sankranthi holds for him, he says it is hardly something to look forward to. Having burnt his fingers badly, Bandeppa is cautious. The awfully merciless south-west monsoon dealt him a heavy blow. Though a proud owner of ten acres of dry land, he has incurred insurmountable losses this time. All he has got as part of the harvest are four bags of tur (red gram), the predominant cash crop of the district. With untimely rains and a severe pest attack, his investment has gone in vain. “Never in recent memory have I had such a hard time,” Bandeppa rues.

But, the good news is that there are farmers who have reaped a bountiful harvest, thanks to regualr water supply to their fields. They have also been able to contain the pest menace. Take Shivasharanappa, for instance.
This Kotnur farmer is ecstatic with the 20 kgs of tur that he has been able to harvest from his five acres of wetland. It is quite a handsome gain, for tur is fetching a good price in the market today.

So, his 20 bags would amount to 25 quintals and at the rate of Rs 30.50 per quintal, he has netted more than Rs 75,000. Not too bad, in these troubled times.

But not all farmers are as lucky as Shivasharanappa. Small holders with less than five acres of dry land are the worst hit and their borrowing from private money lenders has only added to their misery. With most of the farmers depending heavily on tur which is a long 180-day gestation crop, they cannot even think of an alternate crop.

What’s with the areca...

Elsewhere, in Shimoga district, the harvest has been a mixed bag for farmers. After braving the vagaries of nature such as the moody monsoon, pest and fungal infections, the farmers here are all set to celebrate Sankranthi.

The major crops in the district have traditionally been paddy, maize, areca and sugarcane. Though the harvest has been along expected lines, areca growers in the district are in dire straits. The produce has come down by 30 per cent due to fungal infection locally known as kole roga. Prices of crops like paddy, maize and sugarcane have remained normal this year while that of areca, the main commercial crop has registered a steep fall.

Areca, the main commercial crop of the region seems to have lost its sheen. Cheap imports and extension of cultivation in non-traditional areas have resulted in a price slump. Another reason that is being cited for the drop in prices is that the government is charging Rs 12.5 lakh per month as tax for each guthkha producing machine.

Recession is global too

For proof that the global economic recession has widespread implications, pay close attention to the areca market in Shimoga. Areca merchants who had invested heavily in the stock market are not in a position to purchase produce from farmers at a competitive price. The price of saraku variety of areca which was around Rs 18,000 last year has crashed to Rs 12,000 and rashi idi variety from Rs 14,000 to Rs 8,500. Areca growers are hoping that the market will recover even as they celebrate the harvest festival.

So, tomorrow, when you savour your ellu-bella, think of the farmer in Kotnur, Panegaon, orSiddalingapura. For, it is all about him, indeed.

(Inputs from Srinivas Sirnoorkar, Srikantaswamy B and Veerendra PM)

Karnataka seeks Rs 25,800 cr as grants

473660 : National : Karnataka seeks Rs 25,800 cr as grants

Bangalore , Jan 9 Karnataka Government today urged the 13th Finance Commission to release Rs 25,800 crore grants and more devolution of funds through the Commission rather than the planning commission route.
During an interaction with the Commission headed by Vijay Kelkar, the Government pointed out that the state faced a number of"special problems"including regional imbalance in North Karnataka and had to address the infrastrucutre needs of the ever growing Bangalore City.

The city is home to 743 multi national IT companies and 131 BT firms accounting for 57,000 crore software exports annually, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, also the state&aposs Finance Minister told the Commission here.

There is a need to augment the drinking water supply in the city by 476 million litres daily by 2011-12. At present as against the requirement of Rs 1219 MLD only 870 MLD was being supplies and the city faced a shortfall of 349 MLD, he noted.

To address the city&aposs infrastuructre probelms there is a requirement of Rs 8,500 crore grants, Yeddyurappa said.

"We suggest that 40 per cent of the Central taxes should be devolved to the states. The overall limit on the transfer of central resources should also be raised to 50 per cent", Yeddyurapps demanded.

Dharwad water project

IVRCL bags projects worth Rs 260.46cr
      (snip)

The water division has bagged an order from Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, Dharwad, for construction of head works near Almatti dam, laying and joining pipes from the head works up to water treatment plant at Hungund and construction of two pump houses. It will design, construct, supply, install, test and commission a 25.25 mld water treatment plant in Hungund. The project, estimated to cost Rs 53.86 crore, would be completed in 20 months, according to a release.

Water safety problems in Karnataka unlikely to be addressed by 2009-end The Hindu : Front Page

The Hindu : Front Page : Water safety problems in Karnataka unlikely to be addressed by 2009-end

Water safety problems in Karnataka unlikely to be addressed by 2009-end

Nagesh Prabhu

BANGALORE: Addressing water safety problems in all the quality-affected habitations in the State by the end of 2009 is likely to remain a dream under the Centre’s flagship Bharat Nirman Programme.

There are 21,008 water quality affected habitations in the State. So far, only 2,106 habitations have been provided safe drinking water under the rural water supply schemes of the Union and State governments.

Funds have been sanctioned to provide quality water in 6,029 habitations and the progress of work is at different stages. Providing safe drinking water in all the quality-affected habitations in the country by the end of 2009 is one of the major objectives of the Bharat Nirman Programme.

The State Government had earmarked Rs. 654.79 crore to implement 22,973 rural water supply works in all the 29 districts in the current financial year (2008-09). The funds will be utilised to provide safe drinking water in 2,035 habitations in the current year, according to officials in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. The provision of clean drinking water, sanitation, and a clean environment are vital in order to improve the health of the people and to reduce the incidence of diseases and deaths.

As many as 9,39,221 cases of diarrhoea, 14,980 cases of viral hepatitis and 96,147 cases of typhoid were reported in the State in 2006, due to drinking contaminated water.

Water-borne diseases claimed 1,308 lives (diarrhoea-1,279, viral hepatitis-24, typhoid-5) in 2006, according to the Planning Commission document.

As many as 14,779 habitations are yet to be covered in the State.

The State was finding it difficult to establish alternative sources of water supply to the quality-affected habitations, as the source was either very far away or was not available. Many habitations have been affected due to fluoride content in drinking water.

The district-wise approval of funds for taking up works under the rural water supply scheme in 2008-09 is as follows: Bangalore Urban Rs. 40.93 crore; Ramanagara Rs. 55.49 crore; Bangalore Rural 38.92 crore; Kolar Rs. 21.74 crore; Tumkur Rs. 7.76 crore; Chitradurga 37.28 crore; Davangere Rs. 20.72 crore; Shimoga Rs. 18.14 crore; Mysore Rs. 90.56 crore; Mandya Rs. 43.10 crore; Chamarajanagar Rs. 24.16 crore; Hassan 16.02 crore; Dakshina Kannada Rs. 37.33 crore; Udupi Rs. 39.13 crore; Kodagu Rs. 3.08 crore; Belgaum Rs. 13.52 crore; Dharwad Rs. 16.75 crore; Haveri Rs. 7.97 crore; Gadag Rs. 18.53 crore; Uttara Kannada Rs. 12.93 crore; Bagalkot Rs. 26.11 crore; Gulbarga Rs. 14.41 crore; Bidar Rs. 90 crore; Raichur Rs. 16.02 crore; Koppal Rs. 25.11 crore; Chickballapur Rs. 12.52 crore; Chikmagalur Rs. 11.60 crore; Bijapur Rs. 14.91 crore; and Bellary Rs. 14.91 crore.

351 Projects covering 63 Cities Sanctioned / in progress under JNNURM PIB Press Release

PIB Press Release

Under the Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) component of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), cumulatively, 351 Projects were approved.

• The percentage of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) committed for the UIG Component has already exceeded the halfway mark of allocation for the entire Mission period.

• ACA for Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) has been released in respect of 505 projects in 415 towns out of 691 projects covering 558 towns approved by the State Level Sanctioning Committee. The releases comprise almost 50% of allocation for the entire Mission period.

• Urban Reforms are on fast track with innovations at State and City levels

• National Urban Sanitation Policy was launched.

• Service Level Benchmarks were laid down in key areas of Municipal Functions

• Ministry of Urban Development was jointly identified with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation for the “”National Mission on Sustainable Habitat’ in Prime Minister’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

• A Capacity Building Scheme for the Urban Local Bodies was launched.

JNNURM and UIDSSMT

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has set the agenda for Urban Transformation across the country. Since the launch of the Mission. Memoranda of Understanding has been signed with 62 of 63 Cities and so far, 59 Cities have been covered under assistance. The percentage of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) committed in 3 years so far, as against allocation of Rs 25500 crore (UIG Component) for the entire Mission period of 7 years is 63.81%. The total project cost approved is Rs. 3360.94 crore, against which, the ACA released is Rs. 5041.47 crore. Also, of the 351 approved projects, State Governments have reported that physical work relating to 22 projects have been completed.

Under Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small & Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), 691 project reports of 558 towns have been approved by the State Level Sanctioning Committee, out of which ACA has been released to 505 projects in 415 towns involving Rs. 3192.39 crore. The State Governments have informed that physical work relating to 45 projects under UIDSSMT have been completed.

Urban Reforms

JNNURM has catalysed cities to undertake important reform initiatives. The cities have undertaken reforms which contribute to sustainable functioning of urban local bodies (ULB).

Some fresh initiatives include:

• Comprehensive Land Title legislation in Rajasthan,

• Creation of a Municipal Cadre – Municipal Accounts Service in Andhra Pradesh,

• Setting up of Urban Transport Fund in Surat and Pimpri-Chinchwad,

• Setting up of Urban Transport Authority in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai.

• ULBs have initiated various steps to improve their collection of property tax and user charges in a financially sustainable manner.

Public Private Partnership (PPP) Initiatives

The Mission Cities have agreed to include promotion of PPP through appropriate policies and projects as a part of the reform agenda. A number of States such as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat have adopted PPP Policy. PPP Cell has also been established by Assam and West Bengal for promotion of PPP for infrastructure projects in their States. PPP initiatives have been taken by Indore, Vadodara, Pune and Ahmedabad for establishing City Bus services. PPP initiatives have been taken by Kochi in Solid Waste Management.

Focus on Water and Sanitation

Water Supply projects covering augmentation, distribution network and metering are under implementation in 46 Cities. In particular, in 26 cities, the citizens will also get water supply round the clock (24X&) at 135 – 150 litre per capita per day. Sewerage network and connectivity to households is under construction in 33 Cities. Upon completion, the cities will discharge sewerage into network systems rather than directly into nallahs and Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP) will treat sewerage before safe disposal. Solid Waste Management Projects are under implementation in 30 Cities and upon completion, the collection efficiency is expected to increase to 100%. Crude dumping will be eliminated with the creation of engineered landfills with positive results for water quality and environment.

National Urban Sanitation Policy

The National Urban Sanitation Policy was announced in 2008, the international year of sanitation. The Policy was formally launched through a workshop on 12th November 2008. The National Urban Sanitation Policy envisages transforming all the towns and cities of India into 100% sanitized, healthy and livable spaces and ensuring sustained public health and improved environmental outcomes for all its citizens. Special focus has been given to hygienic and affordable sanitation facilities particularly for the urban poor and women. The policy focuses on achievements of outcomes rather than on mere construction of infrastructure, and emphasizes building capacities at the city level. The main components of the policy are awareness generation and bringing about behavior change, achieving open defecation free cities, re-orienting institutions and mainstreaming and prioritizing sanitation in all urban management initiatives at the national, state, city and local level; sanitary and safe disposal of wastes, promoting proper usage and maintenance of household, community and public sanitation facilities; strengthening urban local bodies to provide sanitation services by supporting need based capacity building and training at state level.

Bench Marking of Urban Services

The Ministry of Urban Development has prescribed Standardized service level indicators for four basic urban services (water supply, sewerage, Solid Waste Management and Storm Water Drainage) for enabling Cities to monitor, manage and improve their services delivery performance for basic services. Comprehensive set of guidelines with indicators (covering access to services, quality and reliability of services, cost effectiveness) and a framework for data collection, collation and analysis and a reporting mechanism as well as Bench marking has been prepared and circulated. The Mission cities in particular are expected to keep these bench marks in view while implementing projects under the Mission.

Other Initiatives of the Ministry of Urban Development

( a) Interventions for JNNURM: A few of the various innovations undertaken by the Ministry of Urban Development for better implementation and monitoring of the projects sanctioned under JNUURM are as follows:

(i) Supporting professionally manned Programme Management Unit (PMU) at State level and Programme Implementation Unit (PIU) at ULB level

(ii) Third party monitoring through appointment of Independent Review and Monitoring Agencies (IRMA)

(iii) Capacity building and communication activities for slow performing cities through Rapid Training Program (RTP)

(iv) Peer Experience and Reflective Learning (PEARL) to foster cross learning among cities and institutions

(v) Community Participation Fund (CPF) with the objective of enhancing engagement of citizens in the process of urban management.

(b) Credit Rating of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) - The financial requirement for funding urban infrastructure is significant and it is recognized that public funding alone will not be sufficient. In order to facilitating leveraging of debt for urban infrastructure projects, credit rating of ULB has been undertaken. In the Mission Cities, of the 57 ULB which have been assigned draft ratings , 36 ULBs have investment grade credit rating,

(c) Accrual Based Municipal accounting - A National Municipal Accounting Manual based on accrual based double entry accounting system was prepared and circulated to all the States/UTs in January, 2005 to provide a common framework and simplified toolkit to the ULB for recording accounting entries. As a result now, almost all the States have either adopted double entry accounting system or are in the process of adopting the same.

( d) National Urban Information System (NUIS). A Centrally Sponsored Scheme on NUIS was launched in March 2006 to develop GIS databases for 158 towns/cities in the country. The major objectives of the scheme are to develop attributes as well as spatial information base for various levels of urban planning, use of modern data sources, develop standards and urban indices, and build capacity of personnel in State Town and Country Planning Departments and the ULB in NUIS Scheme towns. So far satellite images have been received for 140 towns, aerial photography has been completed in 35 towns, and data collection is completed in 47 towns. Besides, 28 training programmes as well as 4 regional workshops have been conducted under the Scheme.

(e) Capacity Building in Urban Local Bodies (C-BULB). A Capacity Building Scheme for Urban Local Bodies was launched in 2008-2009 for providing grants to build capacities of the officials and elected representatives in ULBs. The capacity building programme for ULBs would address the needs of those municipal bodies which are not covered under JNNURM or other schemes of the Ministry like UIDSSMT.

Urban Transport

The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) was formulated by the Government in 2006. The policy, inter-alia, seeks to promote integrated land use transport planning, better use of public transport and non-motorized transport mode, use of cleaner technology.

Progress in the Field of Urban Transport

• Delhi MRTs phase-I consisting of 65 kilometers has already been completed at a total cost of Rs. 10571 crores. Delhi MRTs phase –II and its extension for about 125 kilometers at a total cost of Rs. 19,000 crore is in progress

• Metro Rail projects have been approved for Bangalore, Kolkata on DMRC pattern and for Mumbai and Hyderabad on PPP pattern and are in different stages of progress. The metro project for Chennai is under advance stage of consideration.

• Proposals for Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore, Jaipur, Pune / Pimpri-Chinchwada, Surat, Rajkot, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatttnam have been approved under JNNURM scheme of the Ministry at an Estimated outlay of Rs. 4510 crore covering 409 kilometers with Central Financial assistance of Rs. 2065 crore.

After the NUTP was launched in 2006, a number of initiatives, particularly for capacity building, were taken to operationalise the Policy.

• World Bank/DFID assistance was availed for preparing the toolkits and guidelines, which were finalized in a national workshop in June.2008 for capacity building of State/city level Urban Transport Authorities and other stakeholders: - These toolkits related to:

i) Institutional Frame Work for Urban Transport – Guidelines.

ii) Toolkit for alternative analysis.

iii) Bus System (BSM) toolkit.

iv) Toolkit for Public Private Partnership (PPP).

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance was availed for preparing the toolkits and guidelines, which were finalized in a national workshop in July 2008 for capacity building of State/city level Urban Transport Authorities and other stakeholders, The toolkits related to:

i) Toolkits/guidelines for Bus Service Improvement and Bus Rapid Transport (BRT).

ii) Toolkits/guidelines on Parking and non-Motorised Transport (NMT).

iii) Toolkits for Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP).

• World Bank/GEF assistance was availed for preparation of Sustainable Urban Transport Project in 9 demonstration cities to be implemented over the next 4 years with the World Bank, GEF, UNDP and JNNURM assistance.

• A new scheme of urban transport planning has been launched w.e.f. August, 2008 for providing Central financial assistance up to 80% for taking up traffic and transportation studies and preparation of Detailed Project Reports (limited up to 50% in case of DPR). The scheme covers the wide gamut of urban transport matters for promoting comprehensive and integrated urban transport planning, studies, integrated land use and transport planning, comprehensive mobility plans, preparation of DPR, clean development mechanism (CDM) studies, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) studies, launching of awareness campaign in line with the NUTP, 2006.

• In October 2008, the Ministry of Urban Development and National Capital Region Planning Board co-ordinated with the State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi for facilitating the signing of Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement for unrestricted movement of vehicles in National Capital Region (Contract Carriage).

• An International Exhibition cum Conference on Urban Transport-Urban Mobility India was held in December 2008.

Bharatinagar suffers its zillion pains

Bharatinagar suffers its zillion pains

Despite the BBMP’s magnanimous allocation of Rs 1.21 crore this year for development work, living conditions have remained the same, if not worse, in Bharatinagar. Many residents are denied basic amenities like clean water and electricity.

While water supply is irregular, contamination of the borewell water is an issue residents have to grapple with. In January 2008, the area saw an outbreak of water-borne diseases due to contamination.

Though the BWSSB solved the problem then, cases of used water mixing with borewell water persist, due to which 25 of the 34 borewells in the area are unused now. Since tap water is available only two to three times in a week, residents have to make do with the borewell water ‘filtered’ with a piece of cloth tied around the pipe.

Garbage park More appalling is the regular dumping of garbage by the BBMP lorries in the Memorial Children’s Park in the area. Within the park compound is a nursery school
managed by the BBMP, which has to bear the stench and the mosquitoes. “For the last three years, garbage is being dumped here.

The Rs 5 lakh fund allotted by the BBMP in 2007-08 for renovation of the Memorial Park has been used only for fencing and construction of a walking area,” says former councillor M A Pari.

Lavatories raise a stink While the BBMP had sanctioned Rs 17 lakh for the reconstruction of the two public lavatories, only the painting work of lavatories was taken up, allege residents. “The lavatory is rarely cleaned, but people have no other option but to use it, as many houses do not have sanitary facilities,” says Thulasi, a resident. Thulasi lives in one of the 12 single- room houses allotted by the Karnataka State Housing Board under the Ashraya Scheme in 1996.

Two partitions in the corner of the room serve as the kitchen and the toilet, which residents hardly use due to health issues.

Powerless situation The area also faces power shutdown for two-three hours everyday without any prior notification, says M A Pari. Funds for reconstructing roads have been grossly misused, he alleges.

The newly-cemented Clerkspet-B Street here was completely damaged in two months due to rains. “Rs 5 lakh was allotted from the MLA’s development fund towards the road, but quality of work was poor,” he says.

Two government schools in the area - the Government Model Tamil School and the Government English Medium High School - which are in a dilapidated condition, were closed down three months ago.

While authorities claim that the schools were closed due to lack of students, residents in the area say that it is lack of facilities that deter parents from sending children to these schools. Stray dogs, lack of adequate streetlights and irregular desiltation of manholes and open drains are other issues in Bharatinagar.

In tech city, a 1-km trek for water

In tech city, a 1-km trek for water

BANGALORE: In a case of one man’s thirst feeding another man’s greed, the domestic consumers of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board at Kurubarahalli in the city are making some cool money out of their water-starved neighbours in Laggere. The going rate is Rs 2 a pot and the authorities are clueless.

Borewells in Laggere are defunct and the water supplied by the private tankers is unfit for drinking. Residents trek a kilometre to Kurubarahalli where a few households which have BWSSB supply trade them a few pots of water.

Kanaka, a resident of Laggere said, “There are about three to four houses selling BWSSB water. We buy at least 30 to 40 pots from each house daily.” BWSSB chief engineer T Venkatraju told Express, “We supply borewell water to some areas. If the people want to buy corporation water, we cannot stop them from buying it. Our domestic consumers cannot resell water, but under these circumstances we have to be lenient.’’ BWSSB has laid a public tap in Kurubarahalli 17th Cross, but it is not sufficient to meet the needs of the residents in Choudeshwarinagar, Laggere, Freedom Fighter’s Colony and Kempegowdanagar.

The Board also pumps water from borewells in the nearby areas, but residents find it unfit for drinking and water also does not reach this elevated terrain.

For all other purposes other than drinking, residents of Laggere rely on tankers at Rs 200 a load.

Srinivas, a resident of Freedom Fighter’s Colony sought to draw attention to the spill-off problems. “It is difficult to find tenants. Because of the water problem, tenants come and go every few months. We buy at least eight tankers of water a month and even that is not sufficient. People have to attend to their children and go out early in the morning to fetch water,’’ he said.

Padma, said their complaints have not been heard. Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA M Srinivas said, “I have told the residents of Laggere that I will solve their problems. The pipelines are already laid, we supplied water for some days. People in the low-lying areas have dug up big sumps and therefore people residing in the elevated areas do not get water. So we have stopped water supply for now. I will speak to the BWSSB authorities to ensure water supply to Laggere is resumed at the earliest,’’ he said.

Water woes are draining the city yet again -Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Water woes are draining the city yet again -Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Bangalore : Water woes are draining the city yet again. This time, water is being lost to contamination and breakage of pipes during drain work.

For more than a week now, residents of Kaval Byrasandra and Devarajeevanahalli wards have been suffering from not just inadequate supply, but also contamination of water by sewage. "Even today, we collected samples of foul-smelling and mildly grey water,'' area MLA B Prasannakumar told The Times Of India. He also expressed unhappiness over the lack of action by BWSSB officials, despite repeated complaints throughout the week.

According to him, these areas perennially suffer from such water and sanitation issues. He attributes much of the board's inability to the shortage of staff, including assistant engineers and valve men.

A resident of ST Bed Layout, Koramangala, has also been suffering with no drinking water since Sunday. Her drinking-water line was moved during drain work in front of her house. "There was no pipe to be found here on Sunday, only water draining out on the street. We've been suffering as a result,'' she told TOI. With no help from local BWSSB engineers, she approached the contractor in charge of the drain work, only to get a demand for bribe in return. "He asked me for Rs 2,500 to re-lay the line, for no fault of ours,'' she said.

BWSSB sources say they are working on detecting the source of contamination at Kaval Byrasandra and Devarajeevanahalli. Water supply to to these areas has been stopped till the contamination point is identified, they said.

Several parts of the city will have no water from 10 am to 8 pm on Wednesday and Thursday due to maintenance work at the pumping stations in TK Halli.

Affected areas include :

East : HRBR Layout, HBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, Chikka Banaswadi, Dodda Banaswadi, Kammanahalli, Lingarajapuram, HAL II and III Stage, Indiranagar I and II Stage, Murphy Town, Tippasandra, Byappanahalli, Pillana Garden, Jeevanahalli, Gandhinagar, Frazer Town, Coles Road, Vivekananda Nagar, CV Raman Nagar, Kaggadasapura and surrounding areas.

North : Malleswaram, Seshadripuram, Kumara Park, Jayamahal, RT Nagar, Sanjaynagar, Sriramapura, Yeshwantpur and Hebbal.

South : Banashankari, Padmanabhanagar, Girinagar, Hanumanthnagar, Srinagar, Basavanagudi and Chamarajpet.

West : Magadi Road, Rajajinagar 6th Block, Bhuvaneshwarinagar, Padarayanapura, Annappa Garden, Mysore Road, Kasturba Nagar, Bapuji Nagar, Manjunatha Nagar.

Central : Shivajinagar, Vasanthnagar, Gandhinagar, Cubbonpet and Cottonpet.

South-East : Jayanagar 1st to 3rd Block, parts of 4th T Block, Wilson Garden, Bangalore Dairy, Shantinagar and parts of Koramangala 2nd Block.

BWSSB sources said no alternative arrangements will be made. "With water supply dwindling and considering the number of areas to cater to, it's impossible for us to consider making alternative supply while performing annual maintenance work,'' a BWSSB spokesperson said.

Dangerous Level of Contamination of Groundwater

PIB Press Release

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has conducted a study to assess the ground water quality in 35 metro cities during 2002-2007. The study says that the concentration of lead in ground water exceeding the BIS standard (50 parts per billion) is reported in certain parts of Faridabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Indore, Nagpur, Nasik, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam, Patna, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Asansol, Amritsar, Agra, Madurai, Coimbatore, Chennai, Vijayawada and Mumbai.

The actions taken to free the ground water from lead and other types of pollution include: Exploration of ground water sources free from contaminants; Providing technical guidance to States in tackling problems of ground water quality; Provisioning of safe drinking water to rural population under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) and organisation of mass awareness programmes in ground water affected areas; and Directions issued by CPCB to limit the discharge of effluents within the stipulated standards and setting up of network of water quality monitoring stations and common effluent treatment plants.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by Smt. Mohsina Kidwai in the Rajya Sabha today.

Blending modern tech with traditional materials - Corporate News - livemint.com

Blending modern tech with traditional materials - Corporate News - livemint.com

The head office for builder Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd (BCIL), one of the winners of this year’s Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) sustainability awards, looks a bit like the grown-up version of a pre-school. Unfinished wood planks serve as desks, and miniature toy models of futuristic residential developments are scattered between them. Plants are tucked into every crevice.
State of art: The TZED residential complex developed by Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd in Whitefield, Bangalore. The complex saves at least 45% energy through its innovative air conditioning system.
State of art: The TZED residential complex developed by Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd in Whitefield, Bangalore. The complex saves at least 45% energy through its innovative air conditioning system.
The 140-person company, which had a turnover of around Rs30 crore this year, uses a mix of looking into the past for traditional materials and looking into the future for cutting-edge technology. The firm’s main products, its housing complexes, employ a similar aesthetic.
Stone wells that resemble century-old water sources dot the landscape at one BCIL complex in Whitefield, but the wells are hooked up to an underground technology that harvests rainwater and filters. None of the flats has air conditioning units; instead, each relies on a type of fan unit connected to a centralized cooling system.
“For a small company of its size, it is a commendable thing to start,” says Suman Majumdar, who oversaw the awards process at CII. “They are creating a completely different USP about the properties that they are developing.”
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BCIL’s chief executive, Chandrashekar Hariharan, started the company in 1995 as a way to move towards a more “sustainable” model for the development projects he was working on. Specifically, he wanted one that had a separate consumer base and its own source of income.
Following that logic, the idea behind much of what the company does is to reconcile the modern, urban lifestyle with “sustainable” practices that are environmentally sound. “If you keep preaching sustainability, no one will take to it, but if you talk about cuts in energy bills,” they will start to listen, Chandrashekar says.
BCIL’s first projects were in Bangalore, but the firm has since expanded into Mysore and Goa. Earlier this year, the company launched a consulting wing named Green Idea Lab, to help individuals and companies implement green ideas, and focus more on “retrofits”, or improving existing buildings, rather than starting from scratch.
The firm doesn’t develop its own technology but instead, looks at how it can adapt what already exists to residential communities. “Everything has to come through many iterations,” says BCIL project manager Amit Chauhan. “It is technology combined with design.”
For the cooling system in the Whitefield development, TZED (total zero energy development), for example, engineers looked at centralized systems more common in commercial buildings, and created something similar for individual flats. While single air conditioners have their own compressors, TZED created one giant compressor and installed a network of devices known as fan coil units to bring cool air into the rooms, using at least 45% less energy, according to Chauhan.
The water system at TZED, too, is entirely off the grid, meaning it doesn’t connect to any city water supply. Sewage water is recycled and used for landscaping. Rainwater is collected in a 400,000-litre tank, and filtered for every other use, including drinking.
Homes are designed to make best use of natural light and to keep air circulating through, minimizing the need for bulbs and air conditioning systems.
Other developers and public officials are trying to learning from BCIL’s successes. A town planner from Rajkot who came to check out the company’s TZED project in Whitefield said he was intrigued by BCIL’s reputation in green building. But if BCIL takes a more holistic approach, Rajkot’s B.H. Rupani is looking for something more basic: anything that can save energy for the residents of his district. “I’m more interested in the technical part,” he says. “I have to tell people to implement these things.”
BCIL won a separate jury award in this year’s contest, not only for its environmental sustainability practices, CII’s Majumdar says, but also because the company has created an economically viable model out of such products, raised public awareness, and kept stringent safety norms and provided accommodation for its construction labourers in the process.

Water supply to be hit next week-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Water supply to be hit next week-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Due to emergency maintainence work at the pumping stations in TK Halli, water supply will be affected on Wednesday and
Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm in the following areas:

East: HRBR Layout, HBR layout, Kalyan Nagar, Chikka Banaswadi, Dodda Banaswadi, Kammanahalli, Lingarajpuram, HAL II and III Stage, Indiranagar 1st and 2nd Stage, Murphy Town, Tippasandra, Byappanahalli, Pillana Garden, Jeevanahalli, Gandhinagar, Fraser Town, Coles Road, Vivekananda Nagar, CV Raman Nagar, Kaggadasa Pura and surrounding areas.

North: Malleswaram, Seshadripuram, Kumara Park, Jayamahal, RT Nagar, Sanjaynagar, Srirampura, Yeshwantpur, Hebbal.

South: Banashankari, Padmanabha Nagar, Chikkalasandra, Katriguppe, Girinagar, Hanumanthnagar, Srinagar, Basavanagudi, Chamarajpet and surrounding areas.

West: Magadi Road, Rajajinagar 6th Block, Basaveshwara Nagar slum, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, Padarayanapura, Annappa Garden, Mysore Road, Kasturba Nagar, Byatarayanapura, Bapuji Nagar, Manjunatha Nagar and surrounding areas.

Central: Vasantnagar, Gandhi Nagar, Shivajinagar, Cubbonpet, Cottonpet and surrounding areas.

South-East: Jayanagar 1st to 3rd Block, parts of 4th T Block, Byrasandra, Wilson Garden, Bangalore Diary, Shantinagar, parts of Koramangala 2nd Block.

New tech helps tackle old prob in a jiffy

Anybody heard this Computer-Aided Utility Mapping (CAUM) in Bangalore?

New tech helps tackle old prob in a jiffy

A few days ago, pedestrians were seen gingerly picking their way along the busy road linking Banjara Hills and Punjagutta, their noses wrinkled and trousers or saris hitched well over the ankles. The sewage overflow was like a stream in spate.

On receiving complaints, the local division sewerage staff of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) rushed to the spot. They were in for a really tough time.

Not being able to find any manhole around, they had no choice but to dig around at random to locate the leakage point.

When all their efforts failed, they sought the help of the Central Design Cell of the HMWS&SB. The cell swung into action and in no time at all identified the point, thanks to their pipe locator and the valve and manhole lid detectors.

The HMWS&SB acquired these latest equipment under the Computer-Aided Utility Mapping (CAUM) project of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Hyderabad is one of the six cities selected for the CAUM project, the others being Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. Under this, the board has received five pipe locators and two valve and manhole lid detectors, which help locate water and sewer lines deep underground.

Speaking to ENS, HMWS&SB officials said many manholes in the twin cities are difficult to lo- cate because of constant recarpeting of roads by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

While the height of the roads increases with each successive relaying, the manholes are not being raised to the corrsponding levels.

The lids are therefore concealed below the latest surface, making it very vexatious for the HMWS&SB in an emergency.

The latest equipment helps find magnetically sensitive objects made of steel and iron, and hence enables crew to trace valve boxes, manhole covers and well casings.

The equipment is powerful and enables detection at considerable depths.

Originally designed to locate water mains, pipes and manholes, they are also the perfect choice for work in congested areas and at depths where other metal detectors simply do not function.

And they do not need constant recalibrating, are built to last and have a clear audio signal and a clear audio tone.

Their strong, focused search field ensures accurate location of objects close to metal fencing and vehicles and the light weight makes for ease of use with a single control button.

Whenever there is leakage, a transmitter generates specific frequencies that enable the pipe to be located.

Bangalore to get rainwater harvesting theme park

Bangalore to get rainwater harvesting theme park

In a bid to generate awareness on the concept of rainwater harvesting, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will shortly be setting up a rainwater harvesting theme park at Jayanagar V Block of the city.

The park will come up on a BWSSB land of 1.25 acres. It is to be noted that the BWSSB has made rainwater harvesting mandatory for any new buildings built on sites measuring 30x40 feet and above, in order to sanction new water connections.

Rs 10 cr earmarked

BWSSB and IT Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu is a firm proponent of this particular rule. In its Budget, the state government has earmarked Rs 10 crore for rainwater harvesting.

“The tender for the theme park has been finalised for its construction and the work will be started in a week’s time.

Under phase I of the project, around Rs 30 lakh would be spent on setting up the park,” official sources in BWSSB disclosed.

The Park will house an information centre on rainwater harvesting and also display live demonstration models, literature and equipment required to set up a rainwater harvesting unit.

Methods of rainwater harvesting like recharging of borewells and groundwater sources near the house and collection of rainwater for reuse will be demonstrated live at the park.

Labelling the park the “need of the hour,” an officials source said: “In the near future, surface water will become scarce. ” “As there are no other alternative sources, groundwater recharging through rainwater harvesting gains importance”

In BWSSB offices

This apart, the BWSSB offices across the city will soon have rainwater harvesting facilities to set an example. “A proposal for installing a rainwater harvesting unit at Cauvery Bhavan has already been approved and is in the tender process. With this project, we can save about nine lakh litres of water per year,” a source said.