A Shangri-La in the suburbs - dnaindia.com
A Shangri-La in the suburbs
PK Surendran / DNA
Monday, December 21, 2009 8:39
“At the tail-end?” sneers Banaswadi (KR Puram) MLA Nandish Reddy with disbelief. This was in response to the DNA-IMRS survey of top localities of Greater Bangalore where Banaswadi stands 19th. “We are on top for two reasons: we are one of the few localities in New Bangalore which still has the space and will to develop, and we’ve the locational advantage.”
As a people’s representative, Reddy has every right to react this way. And, his perception, it was found, was widely shared by prominent people residing in this North-Eastern part of the city.
New Banaswadi today broadly consists of Ramamurthy Nagar, Kammanahally, Kalyan Nagar and surrounding layouts. Its locational advantage is that it has the quickest access to the south and north of the city, like Whitefield and Bangalore International Airport, thanks to the Ring Road.
“A suburb with all the trappings of the core city,” is how a resident friend described Banaswadi. “The world,” he says, “is coming to Banaswadi, not the other way round.” He points out how a lot many commercial ventures such as Megamart, Koutons, Nilgiri’s and a host of others are moving in to Banaswadi. Bringing brand movement is a good indication of the growing status of a city, he reasons.
“We are at least on par with Indiranagar today,” protests Srinivasa Raju, a builder and old resident. “Not one of the 20.” He goes on to explain why. In 2000, the new Banaswadi, now developed by BDA, commanded a property price of Rs300-400 per square foot. Today, it is Rs3000-4000, and in hipper places it goes to Rs5000. And, even today, if you buy a flat here, it is going to bring you a windfall, mind you.”
“True,” vouches Jiji Johnson, an executive living near Kasturi Nagar. “Today, we don’t have to go to Brigade Road or Shivaji Nagar to shop for garments or utility items. We have almost all the big brands here, starting from Fresh vegetable store to Levi’s jeans.”
Banaswadi is synonymous with the Anjaneya temple whose presiding deity, say believers, has blessed this place so much so that women can go strolling at 10 pm. Sarvagna Nagar MLA KJ George too agrees that Banaswadi is one swell place that has a future.
Banaswadi’s exposed nerve—lack of sewage and water supply—are being solved with projects in the offing. “With the Metro terminals coming up near Kasturi Nagar, this place could be as rich and famous as MG Road,” he says.
Banaswadi’s arterial road however faces a traffic jam at peak hours. But it has enough lung space in the form of at least six parks and a thick foliage of green spread over six square kilometres. Banaswadi has nine big restaurants and a dozen bistros where one can hang out for an evening.
“Even a restaurant to serve Arabian food! Can you beat that?” asks Ramesh Raju, a medical representative at old Banaswadi. He says besides the major hospitals, Cenesis, Sathya Sai Baba Hospital, Dewan’s Hospital and Narayan Nilaya Maternity Hospital, there are 10 other clinics and hospitals that provide to the health requirements of the people here. “It’s not claustrophobic, living here, you know. There’s enough open space and free air.”
Banaswadi does not claim to have many celebrities as with Jayanagar or Indiranagar has but it has made up for it with the super crooner of a bygone era—Manna Dey—who lives in Kalyan Nagar. “We want to be known as a middle-class paradise,” says Reddy, when asked about the shakers and movers living there.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
India's metros see a major water scarcity!: Rediff.com Business
India's metros see a major water scarcity!: Rediff.com Business: "India's metros see a major water scarcity!
Last updated on: December 21, 2009�15:23 IST"
Last updated on: December 21, 2009�15:23 IST"
Boom towns stare at dry-up scare
Boom towns stare at dry-up scare
Boom towns stare at dry-up scare
Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi December 21, 2009, 0:03 IST
This is the first in a series on water woes faced by the country’s biggest cities and the lack of strategy to deal with the crisis that bothers every household.
This week the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will decide if Mumbaikars, who are already coping with 15 per cent reduction in water supply, have to go without water once a week.
Water scarcity, made more acute this year due to deficient rain, is not a problem specific to the country’s financial capital. Growth appears to have come to many cities at the expense of water, as expansion has turned their taps dry, rivers dirty and got expenses skyrocketing. Local administration in these cities are yet to find a way to deal with their changed water needs.
Of the seven cities covered by this Business Standard series — Delhi, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai — only Bangalore is taking its water seriously enough to tap rain water and meter every drop, while the Capital is content blaming migrants for its woes at the same time winking at rampant wastage of ground and river water.
Chennai is zero-metered, while Mumbai is yet to set up its desalination plants or take rain water harvesting seriously.
Lack of transparency is acute in all the cities, except Bangalore, as little is possible to be known without volumetric metering of water usage.
Most cities complain of existing water sources like lakes and rivers drying up, and all, except Bangalore, Delhi and Chandigarh, lack meters.
Bangalore alone claims that 90 per cent of its meters are functioning, while in the national capital almost half the water supplied is yet to be accounted for.
BMC officials say the municipal body has stepped up its efforts to check wastage and pilferage, the two combined responsible for at least 20 per cent loss, but the efforts are yet to be visible on the ground level.
Nowhere is ground water being treasured as a source, though it fulfills much of the cities’ needs. Misuse of water is rampant, but it does not attract any penalties anywhere, except in drought-hit Indore, where a water emergency is on this year. Chandigarh is another which has offered incentives to those using treated sewage water for gardening and non-drinking purposes.
In Kolkata, there is a problem of plenty. The city’s water department takes the river Hooghly for granted and is yet to install meters.
In Bhopal, like Kolkata, meters are for another age and time, which rules out charges for the usage or checking misuse.
The city lives off the Upper Lake, which ran dry last summer — a warning that forced the government to wake up. Still, it eagerly awaits a project that will bring water from the Narmada.
In IT capital Bangalore, water is served in electronically metered litres and now it has begun talking of a parallel pipeline to supply rain water to meet the demands of the fast expanding city.
A World Bank report, which along with the Urban Development Ministry did a benchmark study of 10 cities, found no link between consumption and charges payable by the consumer in most of the cities, barring Hyderabad and Bangalore. Out of the 10 cities, the World Bank found only three financially viable.
The multilateral agency suggested benchmarking or measurement of performance of each supply system on certain key parameters, to enable efficiency or at least a movement toward it. The study was conducted three years ago. But till date, not much has changed as far as data collection is concerned. If implemented, this alone could lead to further steps to curb misuse and increase production through other sources like rain water harvesting and protecting existing resources.
Boom towns stare at dry-up scare
Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi December 21, 2009, 0:03 IST
This is the first in a series on water woes faced by the country’s biggest cities and the lack of strategy to deal with the crisis that bothers every household.
This week the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will decide if Mumbaikars, who are already coping with 15 per cent reduction in water supply, have to go without water once a week.
Water scarcity, made more acute this year due to deficient rain, is not a problem specific to the country’s financial capital. Growth appears to have come to many cities at the expense of water, as expansion has turned their taps dry, rivers dirty and got expenses skyrocketing. Local administration in these cities are yet to find a way to deal with their changed water needs.
Of the seven cities covered by this Business Standard series — Delhi, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai — only Bangalore is taking its water seriously enough to tap rain water and meter every drop, while the Capital is content blaming migrants for its woes at the same time winking at rampant wastage of ground and river water.
Chennai is zero-metered, while Mumbai is yet to set up its desalination plants or take rain water harvesting seriously.
Lack of transparency is acute in all the cities, except Bangalore, as little is possible to be known without volumetric metering of water usage.
Most cities complain of existing water sources like lakes and rivers drying up, and all, except Bangalore, Delhi and Chandigarh, lack meters.
Bangalore alone claims that 90 per cent of its meters are functioning, while in the national capital almost half the water supplied is yet to be accounted for.
BMC officials say the municipal body has stepped up its efforts to check wastage and pilferage, the two combined responsible for at least 20 per cent loss, but the efforts are yet to be visible on the ground level.
Nowhere is ground water being treasured as a source, though it fulfills much of the cities’ needs. Misuse of water is rampant, but it does not attract any penalties anywhere, except in drought-hit Indore, where a water emergency is on this year. Chandigarh is another which has offered incentives to those using treated sewage water for gardening and non-drinking purposes.
In Kolkata, there is a problem of plenty. The city’s water department takes the river Hooghly for granted and is yet to install meters.
In Bhopal, like Kolkata, meters are for another age and time, which rules out charges for the usage or checking misuse.
The city lives off the Upper Lake, which ran dry last summer — a warning that forced the government to wake up. Still, it eagerly awaits a project that will bring water from the Narmada.
In IT capital Bangalore, water is served in electronically metered litres and now it has begun talking of a parallel pipeline to supply rain water to meet the demands of the fast expanding city.
A World Bank report, which along with the Urban Development Ministry did a benchmark study of 10 cities, found no link between consumption and charges payable by the consumer in most of the cities, barring Hyderabad and Bangalore. Out of the 10 cities, the World Bank found only three financially viable.
The multilateral agency suggested benchmarking or measurement of performance of each supply system on certain key parameters, to enable efficiency or at least a movement toward it. The study was conducted three years ago. But till date, not much has changed as far as data collection is concerned. If implemented, this alone could lead to further steps to curb misuse and increase production through other sources like rain water harvesting and protecting existing resources.
DNA - Print This Article - Karnataka government talks of discount to sell rain water harvesting - Daily News & Analysis
DNA - Print This Article - Karnataka government talks of discount to sell rain water harvesting - Daily News & Analysis
Karnataka government talks of discount to sell rain water harvesting
Srikanth Hunasavadi / DNA
Friday, December 18, 2009 8:26
The state government is planning to give five to 10% rebate on the water bill for those who have put into practice rain water harvesting (RWH) at their houses in the city. The move is to encourage the building owners —of both residential and commercial buildings —- to adopt RWH.
“The state government is already giving a discount in the electricity bill to those who use solar energy devices and thus save energy. Likewise, we are thinking of giving a rebate for those who adopt RWH,” said IT-BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, also in charge of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB). “The matter has already been discussed in the BWSSB board meeting. The exact rebate percentage will be announced in a week,” Naidu said.
The minister said that the BWSSB Act had been amended to make rainwater harvesting compulsory for new buildings in Bangalore. “The rule will be extended to all cities in the state. It will be applicable to all new buildings coming up in the city, including buildings of the government, educational institutions and also commercial ones. The government will pass the legislation in the next budget session,” the minister said.
“The matter has been discussed with the chief minister, the horticulture department and the PWD, all of whom have agreed to the proposal. We can solve 40- 45% of the urban water problems this way. If rain water is properly harvested, it will meet the city’s needs for six months a year,” the minister said.
Karnataka government talks of discount to sell rain water harvesting
Srikanth Hunasavadi / DNA
Friday, December 18, 2009 8:26
The state government is planning to give five to 10% rebate on the water bill for those who have put into practice rain water harvesting (RWH) at their houses in the city. The move is to encourage the building owners —of both residential and commercial buildings —- to adopt RWH.
“The state government is already giving a discount in the electricity bill to those who use solar energy devices and thus save energy. Likewise, we are thinking of giving a rebate for those who adopt RWH,” said IT-BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, also in charge of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB). “The matter has already been discussed in the BWSSB board meeting. The exact rebate percentage will be announced in a week,” Naidu said.
The minister said that the BWSSB Act had been amended to make rainwater harvesting compulsory for new buildings in Bangalore. “The rule will be extended to all cities in the state. It will be applicable to all new buildings coming up in the city, including buildings of the government, educational institutions and also commercial ones. The government will pass the legislation in the next budget session,” the minister said.
“The matter has been discussed with the chief minister, the horticulture department and the PWD, all of whom have agreed to the proposal. We can solve 40- 45% of the urban water problems this way. If rain water is properly harvested, it will meet the city’s needs for six months a year,” the minister said.
Citizen Matters, Bangalore: Water security: a helpful RWH learning session
Citizen Matters, Bangalore: Water security: a helpful RWH learning session: "Water security: a helpful RWH learning session
At a workshop on ‘Water Reality and Solutions’ held recently at Sarjapur Road, citizens facing severe water scarcity found answers to questions on RWH, groundwater recharging and more."
At a workshop on ‘Water Reality and Solutions’ held recently at Sarjapur Road, citizens facing severe water scarcity found answers to questions on RWH, groundwater recharging and more."
Conference on rainwater harvesting - Bangalore - City - The Times of India
Conference on rainwater harvesting - Bangalore - City - The Times of India: "BANGALORE: Rainwater harvesting and groundwater management techniques were the focus of the day.
The National Conference on Urban Water Management in Bangalore ended on Tuesday with experts discussing several technical papers.
Secretary of urban development ministry M Ramachandran said the number of towns and cities in India have increased from 4,615 in 1991 to 5,161 in 2001. According to him, at least 91% of urban population has access to water supply while 63% has access to sewerage and sanitation facilities. 'But adequacy, equitable distribution and per capita provision of these basic services may not be as per prescribed norms. There is no assurance on quantity, quality, timing and duration of supply,' Ramachandran said.
According to a study done across 20 cities by the ministry, water (average per day) through pipes is supplied for 5 hours in Chennai, 12 hours in Chandigarh, eight hours in Kolkata, seven hours in Varanasi, two-and-a-half-hours in Surat, four-and-a-half-h"
The National Conference on Urban Water Management in Bangalore ended on Tuesday with experts discussing several technical papers.
Secretary of urban development ministry M Ramachandran said the number of towns and cities in India have increased from 4,615 in 1991 to 5,161 in 2001. According to him, at least 91% of urban population has access to water supply while 63% has access to sewerage and sanitation facilities. 'But adequacy, equitable distribution and per capita provision of these basic services may not be as per prescribed norms. There is no assurance on quantity, quality, timing and duration of supply,' Ramachandran said.
According to a study done across 20 cities by the ministry, water (average per day) through pipes is supplied for 5 hours in Chennai, 12 hours in Chandigarh, eight hours in Kolkata, seven hours in Varanasi, two-and-a-half-hours in Surat, four-and-a-half-h"
The Hindu : Front Page : Bangalore gridlocks getting worse day by day
The Hindu : Front Page : Bangalore gridlocks getting worse day by day
Bangalore gridlocks getting worse day by day
M.T. Shiva Kumar and Deepika Arwind
Police blame infrastructure works for choking more than half our roads
— PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.
LONG WAY TO GO: Traffic officials say the city will have to grin and bear it for the next two years till the ongoing works are completed.
Bangalore: The ongoing work on infrastructure projects is creating gridlocks in various parts of Bangalore city and road users more often than not end up in traffic snarls every day.
As the work on Namma Metro, flyovers, underpasses, elevated highways and other civic works picks up pace ahead of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) polls, traffic bottlenecks have become commonplace across the city.
Motorists, especially office-goers, find themselves stuck in Vijaynagar, Nagarabavi, Magadi Road, Peenya, Sunkadakatte, Old Madras Road, Domlur, Old Airport Road, Yeshwanthpur, Sumanahalli, Ibbalur, Kadirenahalli, Tumkur Road, BTM Layout and other areas.
Most traffic officials say that the city will have to grin and bear it for the next two years till the ongoing works are completed. At some places, especially on Mysore Road, Tumkur Road, Old Madras Road and Hosur Road, traffic clogs up at least 25 times a day, said a senior police official.
However, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) Pravin Sood prefers to describe what is happening in another way. “There are no traffic jams in the city. But the speed has been reduced due to various development works,” he said.
“With about 1,000 new vehicles rolling out on our roads every day to the estimated 40 lakh plying on the choked roads, this is an unprecedented situation,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Apart from construction of flyovers and roads, major works by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company also contribute to the traffic congestion.
The city will get a major facelift in the next two years after the infrastructure works are completed. When Namma Metro rolls out in December 2010, gridlocks hopefully will be a thing of the past, said an optimistic Mr. Sood.
His colleague Panduranga H. Rane, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West), also took a similar stance, attributing the gridlocks to infrastructure works. “Bangaloreans will have to wait for over two years,” he said. The development works are a boon as no other city is growing at this pace even though 50 to 60 per cent of the roads have been affected due to this.
Long-suffering
Motorists, who have to pass through the Ulsoor Gurudwara junction, appear to be some of the worst hit in the traffic scenario in the city. Making one’s way past the signal, particularly, during peak hours, is turning out to be a nightmare with vehicles coming from Swami Vivekananda Road and M.G. Road meeting those on Old Madras Road head on.
But as the road is narrow, there is an inevitable delay of at least 20 minutes during peak hours. It gets worse when there is no one to man the traffic. Says Amarjeet Singh, a regular on this route: “Ever since this became a two-way, there is more chaos. Using this road before 9 a.m. is difficult,” he says.
Pedestrian hazards
This junction is a problem for pedestrians or cyclists who dare not venture during peak hours. Those who come out of the small service lane in front of the gurudwara have to wait interminably before they can cross the road. They include students and teachers coming from Gangadhar Chetty Road.
Bangalore gridlocks getting worse day by day
M.T. Shiva Kumar and Deepika Arwind
Police blame infrastructure works for choking more than half our roads
— PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.
LONG WAY TO GO: Traffic officials say the city will have to grin and bear it for the next two years till the ongoing works are completed.
Bangalore: The ongoing work on infrastructure projects is creating gridlocks in various parts of Bangalore city and road users more often than not end up in traffic snarls every day.
As the work on Namma Metro, flyovers, underpasses, elevated highways and other civic works picks up pace ahead of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) polls, traffic bottlenecks have become commonplace across the city.
Motorists, especially office-goers, find themselves stuck in Vijaynagar, Nagarabavi, Magadi Road, Peenya, Sunkadakatte, Old Madras Road, Domlur, Old Airport Road, Yeshwanthpur, Sumanahalli, Ibbalur, Kadirenahalli, Tumkur Road, BTM Layout and other areas.
Most traffic officials say that the city will have to grin and bear it for the next two years till the ongoing works are completed. At some places, especially on Mysore Road, Tumkur Road, Old Madras Road and Hosur Road, traffic clogs up at least 25 times a day, said a senior police official.
However, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) Pravin Sood prefers to describe what is happening in another way. “There are no traffic jams in the city. But the speed has been reduced due to various development works,” he said.
“With about 1,000 new vehicles rolling out on our roads every day to the estimated 40 lakh plying on the choked roads, this is an unprecedented situation,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Apart from construction of flyovers and roads, major works by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company also contribute to the traffic congestion.
The city will get a major facelift in the next two years after the infrastructure works are completed. When Namma Metro rolls out in December 2010, gridlocks hopefully will be a thing of the past, said an optimistic Mr. Sood.
His colleague Panduranga H. Rane, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West), also took a similar stance, attributing the gridlocks to infrastructure works. “Bangaloreans will have to wait for over two years,” he said. The development works are a boon as no other city is growing at this pace even though 50 to 60 per cent of the roads have been affected due to this.
Long-suffering
Motorists, who have to pass through the Ulsoor Gurudwara junction, appear to be some of the worst hit in the traffic scenario in the city. Making one’s way past the signal, particularly, during peak hours, is turning out to be a nightmare with vehicles coming from Swami Vivekananda Road and M.G. Road meeting those on Old Madras Road head on.
But as the road is narrow, there is an inevitable delay of at least 20 minutes during peak hours. It gets worse when there is no one to man the traffic. Says Amarjeet Singh, a regular on this route: “Ever since this became a two-way, there is more chaos. Using this road before 9 a.m. is difficult,” he says.
Pedestrian hazards
This junction is a problem for pedestrians or cyclists who dare not venture during peak hours. Those who come out of the small service lane in front of the gurudwara have to wait interminably before they can cross the road. They include students and teachers coming from Gangadhar Chetty Road.
PIB Press Release
PIB Press Release
Dr. M.Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development inaugurated two- days( 14-15th Dec.) Workshop on Service Level Benchmarks - “Towards improving service outcomes”, here today. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary stated that the service level benchmarking framework is one of the fundamental building blocks of the soft infrastructure that the cities need to build. He emphasised that the Government should support the states and the cities that adopt the framework and move towards greater accountability to people by regular disclosure of service levels. “We should think of the need to support performance improvement plans and information systems improvement plans. This should form an important element of our future strategy and can be built into all our initiatives such as the JNNURM, UIDSSMT and externally aided projects,” he said.
The Secretary further mentioned that by providing an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement, the practice of benchmarking will improve service delivery, strengthen accountability, bring in greater transparency, help in optimal resource allocation and prioritising of activities, and facilitate PPP. He said that it is also consistent with the need for regulation – an idea which is increasingly gaining momentum in the urban service delivery sector. Benchmarking also becomes highly relevant in view of rising customer expectations, demands for more efficient performance and ever increasing quality standards, he added.
Referring to Benchmarking in the urban service delivery sector he informed that it has been done in South East Asia in countries such as the Philippines where it has been used by the National Water Resources Board to set tariffs that are fair to consumers and utilities. He said that the International Benchmarking Network for water and sanitation utilities was started by the World Bank in the 1990s, to link performance information from utilities around the world. The Water Utility Partnership (WUP) for capacity building in Africa launched in 1996 took up a project called a ‘Service Providers’ Performance Indicators and Benchmarking Network to provide utilities with sustainable arrangements for compiling and sharing performance data. He informed that during the first year, 21 utilities from 15 countries participated. The project was then extended to cover the rest of the utilities in Africa. Currently, the database covers the performance of 110 utilities from 40 countries in Africa.
Dr. M. Ramachandran stated that a study of Urban Water utilities by the Ministry and Water Sanitation Programme (WSP) in 2005 revealed wide diversity in respect of most indicators. Coverage ranged from 45% in Bhubaneswar to 100% in Chandigarh. Production also presented a diverse picture from 102 LPCD in Indore to 608 LPCD in Jamshedpur. There was no metering in Indore whereas Hyderabad had almost 93% metering. He said that the study by the Ministry in collaboration with ADB in 2007 which covered the water supply sector in 20 cities revealed that the coverage of water supply services was only 81.2% and
metering was only 24.5%. The average water availability was 4.3 hours, average level of Unaccounted for water was 31.8% and the average operating ratio was way too high at 1.63. He further stated, “Though these studies were in the nature of one off exercises they highlighted the need for arriving at a standard set of indicators, standardising the definition of the indicators and the tremendous value that can be obtained from institutionalising the practice of benchmarking by integrating it with the day to day working of the utility be it an urban local body or a parastatal organisation”.
Talking about the formulation of benchmarks, the Secretary said that Ministry decided to take the initiative a step forward by initiating a pilot project in the implementation of benchmarking which would include not only documentation of baselines but more importantly performance improvement planning and information systems improvement planning. Appreciating the states which have taken concrete steps to enlarge the scope of this initiative, he mentioned that Karnataka has been proactive in introducing a benchmarking framework which covers sectors such as financial performance, parks and gardens, disease control, roadside drains and street lighting in addition to the water and sanitation sector. The framework is comprehensive and covers all the three tiers i.e the Urban Local Body, the Directorate of Municipal Administration and the Urban Development department at the state level. Performance in respect of these benchmarks will be used to incentivise grants to ULBs from the State Finance Commissions, he added. Manuals as well as software titled “SLB online application” have been prepared for institutionalising the benchmarking framework. In Bangalore, an electronic system is being developed for uploading of data at ward/zone level. The Government of Orissa has decided to institute SLB cells in the two cities of Bhubaneswar and Berhampur which were a part of the pilot initiative and the State Government. He informed that the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh has initiated operationalization of the SLB framework and performance improvement planning in 14 municipal corporations of the State. It is also exploring ways to integrate the benchmarking framework into the decision making process at the municipal and state level. Similarly, he mentioned that Andhra Pradesh is planning to scale up the SLB framework to 11 priority towns. The Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat with support from the Bill and Gates Melinda Foundation are implementing a performance assessment system which is aimed at state-wide adaptation of the SLB framework covering 400 cities.
The pilot project on the implementation of benchmarking was launched in February 6, 2009. The pilot initiative covers 27 cities spread across 14 states and one UT, including 16 JNNURM cities. The SLB initiative is being implemented under a unique partnership arrangement with six development agencies i.e. Water Sanitation Program – South Asia (WSP-SA), JICA, GTZ, DfID, Gates Foundation and PROOF. These consist of a diverse mix of cities, ranging from small towns under one lakh population to mega-cities of 15 million, located in plains/ coastal/ hilly regions, with varied climatic conditions and institutional arrangements for service delivery. The intention behind launching the pilot initiative is to effectively demonstrate the applicability of the SLB framework under all operating environments.
Dr. M.Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development inaugurated two- days( 14-15th Dec.) Workshop on Service Level Benchmarks - “Towards improving service outcomes”, here today. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary stated that the service level benchmarking framework is one of the fundamental building blocks of the soft infrastructure that the cities need to build. He emphasised that the Government should support the states and the cities that adopt the framework and move towards greater accountability to people by regular disclosure of service levels. “We should think of the need to support performance improvement plans and information systems improvement plans. This should form an important element of our future strategy and can be built into all our initiatives such as the JNNURM, UIDSSMT and externally aided projects,” he said.
The Secretary further mentioned that by providing an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement, the practice of benchmarking will improve service delivery, strengthen accountability, bring in greater transparency, help in optimal resource allocation and prioritising of activities, and facilitate PPP. He said that it is also consistent with the need for regulation – an idea which is increasingly gaining momentum in the urban service delivery sector. Benchmarking also becomes highly relevant in view of rising customer expectations, demands for more efficient performance and ever increasing quality standards, he added.
Referring to Benchmarking in the urban service delivery sector he informed that it has been done in South East Asia in countries such as the Philippines where it has been used by the National Water Resources Board to set tariffs that are fair to consumers and utilities. He said that the International Benchmarking Network for water and sanitation utilities was started by the World Bank in the 1990s, to link performance information from utilities around the world. The Water Utility Partnership (WUP) for capacity building in Africa launched in 1996 took up a project called a ‘Service Providers’ Performance Indicators and Benchmarking Network to provide utilities with sustainable arrangements for compiling and sharing performance data. He informed that during the first year, 21 utilities from 15 countries participated. The project was then extended to cover the rest of the utilities in Africa. Currently, the database covers the performance of 110 utilities from 40 countries in Africa.
Dr. M. Ramachandran stated that a study of Urban Water utilities by the Ministry and Water Sanitation Programme (WSP) in 2005 revealed wide diversity in respect of most indicators. Coverage ranged from 45% in Bhubaneswar to 100% in Chandigarh. Production also presented a diverse picture from 102 LPCD in Indore to 608 LPCD in Jamshedpur. There was no metering in Indore whereas Hyderabad had almost 93% metering. He said that the study by the Ministry in collaboration with ADB in 2007 which covered the water supply sector in 20 cities revealed that the coverage of water supply services was only 81.2% and
metering was only 24.5%. The average water availability was 4.3 hours, average level of Unaccounted for water was 31.8% and the average operating ratio was way too high at 1.63. He further stated, “Though these studies were in the nature of one off exercises they highlighted the need for arriving at a standard set of indicators, standardising the definition of the indicators and the tremendous value that can be obtained from institutionalising the practice of benchmarking by integrating it with the day to day working of the utility be it an urban local body or a parastatal organisation”.
Talking about the formulation of benchmarks, the Secretary said that Ministry decided to take the initiative a step forward by initiating a pilot project in the implementation of benchmarking which would include not only documentation of baselines but more importantly performance improvement planning and information systems improvement planning. Appreciating the states which have taken concrete steps to enlarge the scope of this initiative, he mentioned that Karnataka has been proactive in introducing a benchmarking framework which covers sectors such as financial performance, parks and gardens, disease control, roadside drains and street lighting in addition to the water and sanitation sector. The framework is comprehensive and covers all the three tiers i.e the Urban Local Body, the Directorate of Municipal Administration and the Urban Development department at the state level. Performance in respect of these benchmarks will be used to incentivise grants to ULBs from the State Finance Commissions, he added. Manuals as well as software titled “SLB online application” have been prepared for institutionalising the benchmarking framework. In Bangalore, an electronic system is being developed for uploading of data at ward/zone level. The Government of Orissa has decided to institute SLB cells in the two cities of Bhubaneswar and Berhampur which were a part of the pilot initiative and the State Government. He informed that the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh has initiated operationalization of the SLB framework and performance improvement planning in 14 municipal corporations of the State. It is also exploring ways to integrate the benchmarking framework into the decision making process at the municipal and state level. Similarly, he mentioned that Andhra Pradesh is planning to scale up the SLB framework to 11 priority towns. The Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat with support from the Bill and Gates Melinda Foundation are implementing a performance assessment system which is aimed at state-wide adaptation of the SLB framework covering 400 cities.
The pilot project on the implementation of benchmarking was launched in February 6, 2009. The pilot initiative covers 27 cities spread across 14 states and one UT, including 16 JNNURM cities. The SLB initiative is being implemented under a unique partnership arrangement with six development agencies i.e. Water Sanitation Program – South Asia (WSP-SA), JICA, GTZ, DfID, Gates Foundation and PROOF. These consist of a diverse mix of cities, ranging from small towns under one lakh population to mega-cities of 15 million, located in plains/ coastal/ hilly regions, with varied climatic conditions and institutional arrangements for service delivery. The intention behind launching the pilot initiative is to effectively demonstrate the applicability of the SLB framework under all operating environments.
Fingers crossed to get a drop of water | | | Indian Express
Fingers crossed to get a drop of water | | | Indian Express
Fingers crossed to get a drop of water
Kavitha Kushalappa First Published : 13 Dec 2009 04:36:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 13 Dec 2009 07:19:12 AM IST
BANGALORE: That a national conference on “Urban Water Management— Challenges and Options’ is being organised in Bangalore, soon after the announcement of the calendar of events for elections to the BBMP, should be a welcome coincidence.
It is more so because the non-profit organiser, the Centre for Sustainable Development, is chaired by the former chief secretary Dr A Ravindra, who is now the adviser to the CM on urban affairs. He was also the architect of the draft urban development policy released by the state government recently.
The draft policy incidentally has a brief reference to the controversial privatisation of water supply. Besides, experts like former irrigation secretary Captain Raja Rao have often pointed out that with the 500 mld (million litres per day) Cauvery Stage IV, Stage Phase II project expected to be commissioned in 2012, the city will exhaust its allotted share of 19 TMC ft Cauvery water. The recent efforts to revive the Arkavathy must therefore focus more on recharging the ground water table than surface water, he said.
Fears on the availability of drinking water for an expanding city was pronounced during the BBMP’s formation in 2006-07.
Three years on, there are no quick solutions. The three-day meet begins on Sunday with a field visit by delegates.
Treats: bitter and sweet
A BWSSB chief engineer said that the BWSSB wants the industries segment to seriously consider buying treated, nonportable water. “We are preparing to place the matter on the table during the Global Investors Meet,” he said pointing out that at present, Bengaluru International Airport Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited procures a small quantity of water treated at BWSSB’s Yelahanka treatment plant.
BWSSB’s daily supply of drinking water to Bangalore remains around 900 mld. The former CMCs and other new areas making the BBMP shall have to wait till 2012 for the 500 mld from Cauvery State IV, Stage Phase II to fill their total need. Only 30 per cent of these areas receive Cauvery water.
The 60 mld augmented by the Netkal Balancing Reservoir has by far been the only addition to the daily supply in the city in the last three years.
Verticals and theories
Officials pointed out that even when planning for the newlyintegrated areas, the BWSSB has to contend with the increase in demand in the core area. The latter has seen “extensive vertical growth” and water consumption has obviously increased, it was said.
This vertical growth has also compounded the problem of Cauvery water supply in the integrated areas like KR Puram, Mahadevapura and Dasarahalli.
These three fall in the “end point” of the supply pipeline and reach is difficult due to lack of pressure, they said.
In recent years, there have been talks about a return to Bangalore’s lakes for its drinking water needs, but progress seems to be little. As officials put it, “it is only theoretical.”
Electric crematorium in Beggar’s colony
With the existing burial grounds and crematoria being over-loaded, the BBMP on Saturday inaugurated a new electric crematorium at Beggar’s colony.
Rajarajeswarinagar MLA M Srinivas inaugurated the crematoria.
The BBMP has provided additional crematoria at various places in the city to cope with the unnatural load. The crematorium is situated adjacent to the Outer Ring Road near Magadi Road. With a central plaza, stage, ritual platform and waiting halls, it also includes two furnaces. The BBMP now has 11 electric crematoria in the city.
Fingers crossed to get a drop of water
Kavitha Kushalappa First Published : 13 Dec 2009 04:36:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 13 Dec 2009 07:19:12 AM IST
BANGALORE: That a national conference on “Urban Water Management— Challenges and Options’ is being organised in Bangalore, soon after the announcement of the calendar of events for elections to the BBMP, should be a welcome coincidence.
It is more so because the non-profit organiser, the Centre for Sustainable Development, is chaired by the former chief secretary Dr A Ravindra, who is now the adviser to the CM on urban affairs. He was also the architect of the draft urban development policy released by the state government recently.
The draft policy incidentally has a brief reference to the controversial privatisation of water supply. Besides, experts like former irrigation secretary Captain Raja Rao have often pointed out that with the 500 mld (million litres per day) Cauvery Stage IV, Stage Phase II project expected to be commissioned in 2012, the city will exhaust its allotted share of 19 TMC ft Cauvery water. The recent efforts to revive the Arkavathy must therefore focus more on recharging the ground water table than surface water, he said.
Fears on the availability of drinking water for an expanding city was pronounced during the BBMP’s formation in 2006-07.
Three years on, there are no quick solutions. The three-day meet begins on Sunday with a field visit by delegates.
Treats: bitter and sweet
A BWSSB chief engineer said that the BWSSB wants the industries segment to seriously consider buying treated, nonportable water. “We are preparing to place the matter on the table during the Global Investors Meet,” he said pointing out that at present, Bengaluru International Airport Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited procures a small quantity of water treated at BWSSB’s Yelahanka treatment plant.
BWSSB’s daily supply of drinking water to Bangalore remains around 900 mld. The former CMCs and other new areas making the BBMP shall have to wait till 2012 for the 500 mld from Cauvery State IV, Stage Phase II to fill their total need. Only 30 per cent of these areas receive Cauvery water.
The 60 mld augmented by the Netkal Balancing Reservoir has by far been the only addition to the daily supply in the city in the last three years.
Verticals and theories
Officials pointed out that even when planning for the newlyintegrated areas, the BWSSB has to contend with the increase in demand in the core area. The latter has seen “extensive vertical growth” and water consumption has obviously increased, it was said.
This vertical growth has also compounded the problem of Cauvery water supply in the integrated areas like KR Puram, Mahadevapura and Dasarahalli.
These three fall in the “end point” of the supply pipeline and reach is difficult due to lack of pressure, they said.
In recent years, there have been talks about a return to Bangalore’s lakes for its drinking water needs, but progress seems to be little. As officials put it, “it is only theoretical.”
Electric crematorium in Beggar’s colony
With the existing burial grounds and crematoria being over-loaded, the BBMP on Saturday inaugurated a new electric crematorium at Beggar’s colony.
Rajarajeswarinagar MLA M Srinivas inaugurated the crematoria.
The BBMP has provided additional crematoria at various places in the city to cope with the unnatural load. The crematorium is situated adjacent to the Outer Ring Road near Magadi Road. With a central plaza, stage, ritual platform and waiting halls, it also includes two furnaces. The BBMP now has 11 electric crematoria in the city.
Residents wake up to sewage smelling | | | Indian Express
Residents wake up to sewage smelling | | | Indian Express
Residents wake up to sewage smelling
Express News Service First Published : 12 Dec 2009 05:14:20 AM ISTLast Updated : 12 Dec 2009 10:44:40 AM IST
BANGALORE: It’s been over four months now but for the residents of HAL II Stage, 12th Main, there is no respite from the foul-smelling sewage of a clogged pipeline.
The sewage pipeline running across the street is clogged and the stagnant water raises a stink in the entire locality.
“The sewage water gets accumulated inside the compound next door and the stink forces us to remain indoors most times,” said Padma Ganapathi, a resident.
“The water gets stagnant next to our house and the stink gets unbearable. This is everyday issue which has started along with the monsoon season,” she added.
Residents tried to get the problem fixed, but the problem resurfaced. Several complaints by to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) failed.
“After complaining for so long, the board had cleared the stagnant water with the help of jetting machine just two days ago, but the place is again filled with water,” she said. The residents complain that the place has become a breeding zone for mosquitoes.
However, BWSSB sources said that after receiving a complaint, a jetting machine drained out the water. The officials assured they Bangalore, December 7 IT’S been over four months now but for the residents of HAL II Stage, 12th Main, there is no respite from the foul-smelling sewage of a clogged pipeline.
The sewage pipeline running across the street is clogged and the stagnant water raises a stink in the entire locality.
“The sewage water gets accumulated inside the compound next door and the stink forces us to remain indoors most times,” said Padma Ganapathi, a resident.
“The water gets stagnant next to our house and the stink gets unbearable. This is everyday issue which has started along with the monsoon season,” she added.
Residents tried to get the problem fixed, but the problem resurfaced. Several complaints by to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) failed.
“After complaining for so long, the board had cleared the stagnant water with the help of jetting machine just two days ago, but the place is again filled with water,” she said. The residents complain that the place has become a breeding zone for mosquitoes.
However, BWSSB sources said that after receiving a complaint, a jetting machine drained out the water. The officials assured they
Residents wake up to sewage smelling
Express News Service First Published : 12 Dec 2009 05:14:20 AM ISTLast Updated : 12 Dec 2009 10:44:40 AM IST
BANGALORE: It’s been over four months now but for the residents of HAL II Stage, 12th Main, there is no respite from the foul-smelling sewage of a clogged pipeline.
The sewage pipeline running across the street is clogged and the stagnant water raises a stink in the entire locality.
“The sewage water gets accumulated inside the compound next door and the stink forces us to remain indoors most times,” said Padma Ganapathi, a resident.
“The water gets stagnant next to our house and the stink gets unbearable. This is everyday issue which has started along with the monsoon season,” she added.
Residents tried to get the problem fixed, but the problem resurfaced. Several complaints by to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) failed.
“After complaining for so long, the board had cleared the stagnant water with the help of jetting machine just two days ago, but the place is again filled with water,” she said. The residents complain that the place has become a breeding zone for mosquitoes.
However, BWSSB sources said that after receiving a complaint, a jetting machine drained out the water. The officials assured they Bangalore, December 7 IT’S been over four months now but for the residents of HAL II Stage, 12th Main, there is no respite from the foul-smelling sewage of a clogged pipeline.
The sewage pipeline running across the street is clogged and the stagnant water raises a stink in the entire locality.
“The sewage water gets accumulated inside the compound next door and the stink forces us to remain indoors most times,” said Padma Ganapathi, a resident.
“The water gets stagnant next to our house and the stink gets unbearable. This is everyday issue which has started along with the monsoon season,” she added.
Residents tried to get the problem fixed, but the problem resurfaced. Several complaints by to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) failed.
“After complaining for so long, the board had cleared the stagnant water with the help of jetting machine just two days ago, but the place is again filled with water,” she said. The residents complain that the place has become a breeding zone for mosquitoes.
However, BWSSB sources said that after receiving a complaint, a jetting machine drained out the water. The officials assured they
Repair work leaves many areas waterless - Bangalore - City - The Times of India
Repair work leaves many areas waterless - Bangalore - City - The Times of India
BANGALORE: 72 hours without water supply. That's the plight of the residents of V V Puram, Kaval Byrasandra, Cambridge Layout, some parts of Sahakarnagar, BSK 2nd Stage and parts of Malleswaram.
Although the two-day maintenance work by the BWSSB has ended in all these areas, water supply hasn't resumed. A BWSSB spokesperson said: "In areas where water is supplied every alternate day, if one day is missed, then they are likely to receive supply on the fourth day. In others, we've started supplying water from Thursday evening.''
B S Mani of V V Puram, exasperated by the BWSSB, said: "It's most unfortunate that the engineers had not calculated the pressure of water a pipe can carry. That's why the pipe on the Lalbagh West Gate main road burst and repair work was inevitable. The work has stopped but there's no respite for us. BWSSB stopped water supply for two days but we didn't receive any water on the third day as well. The situation is pathetic," Mani added.
A block of Sahakarnagar usually gets water once every three days, and even seven days at times. M R Seetharam, a resident of this area, said: "We have not received water since Tuesday. The situation has forced us to build huge water tanks, which can store water for four days. If we do not receive water supply on Saturday, we have find other ways. The situation gets worse when repair work is undertaken in the locality."
While Shashi from Kaval Byrasandra said that on Thursday evening, the locality did receive some water, it wasn't sufficient for the next two days. Suma Raj, a resident of 2nd Cross, Malleswaram, said: "We haven't received water for the past two days but we've managed. But now, what do we do?"
The BWSSB assurance doesn't seem to have reached these people in utter distress. They will be happy only when they finnaly get to water flowing their taps.
BANGALORE: 72 hours without water supply. That's the plight of the residents of V V Puram, Kaval Byrasandra, Cambridge Layout, some parts of Sahakarnagar, BSK 2nd Stage and parts of Malleswaram.
Although the two-day maintenance work by the BWSSB has ended in all these areas, water supply hasn't resumed. A BWSSB spokesperson said: "In areas where water is supplied every alternate day, if one day is missed, then they are likely to receive supply on the fourth day. In others, we've started supplying water from Thursday evening.''
B S Mani of V V Puram, exasperated by the BWSSB, said: "It's most unfortunate that the engineers had not calculated the pressure of water a pipe can carry. That's why the pipe on the Lalbagh West Gate main road burst and repair work was inevitable. The work has stopped but there's no respite for us. BWSSB stopped water supply for two days but we didn't receive any water on the third day as well. The situation is pathetic," Mani added.
A block of Sahakarnagar usually gets water once every three days, and even seven days at times. M R Seetharam, a resident of this area, said: "We have not received water since Tuesday. The situation has forced us to build huge water tanks, which can store water for four days. If we do not receive water supply on Saturday, we have find other ways. The situation gets worse when repair work is undertaken in the locality."
While Shashi from Kaval Byrasandra said that on Thursday evening, the locality did receive some water, it wasn't sufficient for the next two days. Suma Raj, a resident of 2nd Cross, Malleswaram, said: "We haven't received water for the past two days but we've managed. But now, what do we do?"
The BWSSB assurance doesn't seem to have reached these people in utter distress. They will be happy only when they finnaly get to water flowing their taps.
Gammon India, Pratibha Ind consortium bags Rs 309-cr project
Gammon India, Pratibha Ind consortium bags Rs 309-cr project: "Gammon India, Pratibha Ind consortium bags Rs 309-cr project
Mumbai, Dec 1 (PTI):
Engineering and construction firm Gammon India Ltd today said the consortium of the company and Pratibha Industries Ltd has bagged a Rs 309-crore contract from Bangalore civic body.
The project involves procurement, fabrication and laying of clear water main from Vajarahalli to HRB on the east of Bangalore, Gammon India said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The contract has been awarded by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
Gammon is the lead partner with 51 per cent controlling interest in the joint venture, which has been entrusted with the project, it said.
Gammon India is involved in the development of infrastructure projects on public private partnership (PPP) basis through its subsidiaries.
The company has18 projects in the roads, bridges, ports, hydroelectric power and biomass power sectors.
Shares of Gammon India closed at Rs 238.85, up 1.79 per cent from the previous close on the BSE."
Mumbai, Dec 1 (PTI):
Engineering and construction firm Gammon India Ltd today said the consortium of the company and Pratibha Industries Ltd has bagged a Rs 309-crore contract from Bangalore civic body.
The project involves procurement, fabrication and laying of clear water main from Vajarahalli to HRB on the east of Bangalore, Gammon India said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The contract has been awarded by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
Gammon is the lead partner with 51 per cent controlling interest in the joint venture, which has been entrusted with the project, it said.
Gammon India is involved in the development of infrastructure projects on public private partnership (PPP) basis through its subsidiaries.
The company has18 projects in the roads, bridges, ports, hydroelectric power and biomass power sectors.
Shares of Gammon India closed at Rs 238.85, up 1.79 per cent from the previous close on the BSE."
Mangalorean.Com- Serving Mangaloreans Around The World!
Mangalorean.Com- Serving Mangaloreans Around The World!
MANGALORE Nov 30: The council of the Mangalore City Corporation in its meeting on Monday gave its consent to the proposal for a round-the-clock drinking water supply scheme under public-private participation (PPP) model.
It approved a proposal to ask the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) to prepare a detailed project report and tender documents to this effect. The agenda placed before the council to this effect said that the 24x7 water supply scheme would have to be implemented without any additional financial burden on the civic body. The meeting agreed to authorise the KUIDFC to prepare the documents required to get funds for the 24x7 scheme from the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) programme of the Union Government.
Infrastructure projects
The council agreed that the city corporation could take into possession some infrastructure projects developed by the KUIDFC for the civic body under Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Management Project (KUDCEMP). Such projects had been developed under the loan from the Asian Development Bank.
They included four water supply pump houses built at Ladyhill, Maryhill, Padil and Panambur and four ground-level reservoirs at Padil (120 lakh litres capacity), Bondel (15 lakh litres), Soojikal and Ullasnagar (both 10 lakh litres).
In addition, the council approved to take into possession eight overhead tanks of 10-lakh-litre capacity each built at Padavainangady, Panambur, near NITK-Surathkal, Katipalla, near Govindadasa College in Surathkal, Kadri Circuit House, near Neerumarga Road at Kudupu and near Mangala Jyothi school at Thiruvail. Three more overhead tanks of 15-lakh-litre capacity constructed at Chilimbi, Bala and near Mangala stadium, and two overhead tanks of five-lakh-litre capacity at Sisters’ Colony and Padupadavu would also be taken over.
The city corporation will take over the 14-km-long and 1,100-mm-diameter main water supply pipeline laid from Ramalkatte to Padil on NH 48. In addition, 80 MLD capacity water treatment plant at Ramalkatte and 23.5 MLD capacity water filtration plant at Panambur would also be taken over. Members of the Opposition Congress in the council staged a walkout during Question Hour protesting against the civic body implementing the revised master plan for Mangalore local planning area. The master plan had been prepared by Mangalore Urban Development Authority.
Leader of the Opposition Harinath said that under the revised master plan poor and middle class people would find it difficult to construct houses in small plots. The Mayor should make his stand clear whether the civic body would give permission for constructing houses in such sites or not, he said.
Mayor M. Shankar Bhat said that the Minister for Urban Development, S. Suresh Kumar, had convened a meeting to discuss this subject at Bangalore on Wednesday. A decision to this effect would be taken after that meeting. However, Mr. Harinath said, the council should take a decision to this effect in the council meeting. Unconvinced with the Mayor’s reply the Congress members staged a walk-out.
Many members alleged that streetlights in the city were not being maintained properly. To this, K.N. Vijayaprakash, Commissioner, said that officials had been instructed to address the problem. When members demanded that door numbers be allotted to houses, which had been temporarily suspended, the Mayor ruled that the officials should allot door numbers according to the rules under The Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act.
The Mayor said that the Government was likely to come out with an Ordinance regarding the “Akrama-Sakrama” scheme shortly. Mr. Vijayaprakash said that the civic body would wait till the Ordinance was issued for resuming allotment of door numbers. It was because the provisions in the Ordinance and the KMC Act should not clash while allotting door numbers, he said.
Hindu
MANGALORE Nov 30: The council of the Mangalore City Corporation in its meeting on Monday gave its consent to the proposal for a round-the-clock drinking water supply scheme under public-private participation (PPP) model.
It approved a proposal to ask the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) to prepare a detailed project report and tender documents to this effect. The agenda placed before the council to this effect said that the 24x7 water supply scheme would have to be implemented without any additional financial burden on the civic body. The meeting agreed to authorise the KUIDFC to prepare the documents required to get funds for the 24x7 scheme from the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) programme of the Union Government.
Infrastructure projects
The council agreed that the city corporation could take into possession some infrastructure projects developed by the KUIDFC for the civic body under Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Management Project (KUDCEMP). Such projects had been developed under the loan from the Asian Development Bank.
They included four water supply pump houses built at Ladyhill, Maryhill, Padil and Panambur and four ground-level reservoirs at Padil (120 lakh litres capacity), Bondel (15 lakh litres), Soojikal and Ullasnagar (both 10 lakh litres).
In addition, the council approved to take into possession eight overhead tanks of 10-lakh-litre capacity each built at Padavainangady, Panambur, near NITK-Surathkal, Katipalla, near Govindadasa College in Surathkal, Kadri Circuit House, near Neerumarga Road at Kudupu and near Mangala Jyothi school at Thiruvail. Three more overhead tanks of 15-lakh-litre capacity constructed at Chilimbi, Bala and near Mangala stadium, and two overhead tanks of five-lakh-litre capacity at Sisters’ Colony and Padupadavu would also be taken over.
The city corporation will take over the 14-km-long and 1,100-mm-diameter main water supply pipeline laid from Ramalkatte to Padil on NH 48. In addition, 80 MLD capacity water treatment plant at Ramalkatte and 23.5 MLD capacity water filtration plant at Panambur would also be taken over. Members of the Opposition Congress in the council staged a walkout during Question Hour protesting against the civic body implementing the revised master plan for Mangalore local planning area. The master plan had been prepared by Mangalore Urban Development Authority.
Leader of the Opposition Harinath said that under the revised master plan poor and middle class people would find it difficult to construct houses in small plots. The Mayor should make his stand clear whether the civic body would give permission for constructing houses in such sites or not, he said.
Mayor M. Shankar Bhat said that the Minister for Urban Development, S. Suresh Kumar, had convened a meeting to discuss this subject at Bangalore on Wednesday. A decision to this effect would be taken after that meeting. However, Mr. Harinath said, the council should take a decision to this effect in the council meeting. Unconvinced with the Mayor’s reply the Congress members staged a walk-out.
Many members alleged that streetlights in the city were not being maintained properly. To this, K.N. Vijayaprakash, Commissioner, said that officials had been instructed to address the problem. When members demanded that door numbers be allotted to houses, which had been temporarily suspended, the Mayor ruled that the officials should allot door numbers according to the rules under The Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act.
The Mayor said that the Government was likely to come out with an Ordinance regarding the “Akrama-Sakrama” scheme shortly. Mr. Vijayaprakash said that the civic body would wait till the Ordinance was issued for resuming allotment of door numbers. It was because the provisions in the Ordinance and the KMC Act should not clash while allotting door numbers, he said.
Hindu
Karnataka hikes power tariff by 34.16 paise/unit - Business Line -
Karnataka hikes power tariff by 34.16 paise/unit - Business Line -
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), on Wednesday, increased the power tariff in the State by an average of 34.16 paise/ unit.
This roughly works out to a hike of about 7.5% as against 51 paise hike sought by the Escoms (Electricity supply companies). The new tariff will come into effect from December 1.
For the first time, each of the five electricity supplying companies in the State will have slightly different tariffs instead of the present system of uniform tariff as the KERC issued a differential tariff order. The hike varies for each category of consumers.
Power consumers in BESCOM (Better customer care) area including Bangalore will have to pay an additional 40.11 paise/ unit on an average, while the consumers of other Escoms will have to bear with an average increase ranging from 24.87 to 26.57 paise/ unit.
The good news for the domestic consumers in all the Escoms is that there is no increase in tariff for the first 100 units consumed by them.
They have to pay an additional 30 paise/ unit for the consumption from 101 to 200 units, and additional 40 paise from 200 to 300 units, 50 paise from 300 to 400 units and 120 paise for the consumption above 400 units.
Sources said this has been done with a twin objective of ensuring that poor and lower middle class families are not affected and also to discourage indiscriminate use of power by upper middle class and rich segments.
The KERC has continued its previous exercise of classifying consumers as three categories of those in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, urban local bodies and village panchayat areas.
The increase for those in ULBs and VPs are lesser than those in BBMP area. The Irrigation Pump Sets and Bhagya Jyothi/Lutir Jyothi consumers have been spared from hike.
Similarly, the tariff has been increased by 15 to 55 paise / unit for Low Tension (LT) commercial categories in BBMP.
The tariff for LT industries has not been changed for the first 500 units, while they have to pay an additional 35 paise for the consumption between 501 and 1000 units and 30 paise for consumption above 1000 units.
There is an increase of 35 paise and 30 paise / unit for the HT and LT water supply respectively while the street light tariff has gone up by 5 paise/ unit.
There is steep increase of 75 paise to one rupee/ unit for temporary supply.
The increase in tariff for the second slab of consumption among HT industries has been kept lower than that of the first slab to promote power consumption by these high-paying categories.
But the industries have cold shouldered this by pointing out that they are already facing load shedding due to power shortage.
The tariff for HT industries has been increased by 50 paise/ unit for the consumption upto one lakh Kilowatt hours while they have to pay an additional 30 paise for the consumption beyond one lakh KWHs.
The HT commercial categories such as shopping malls will have to bear with a steep hike of 75 to 80 paise/ unit while the HT residential apartments will have to pay 70 paise more for every unit.
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), on Wednesday, increased the power tariff in the State by an average of 34.16 paise/ unit.
This roughly works out to a hike of about 7.5% as against 51 paise hike sought by the Escoms (Electricity supply companies). The new tariff will come into effect from December 1.
For the first time, each of the five electricity supplying companies in the State will have slightly different tariffs instead of the present system of uniform tariff as the KERC issued a differential tariff order. The hike varies for each category of consumers.
Power consumers in BESCOM (Better customer care) area including Bangalore will have to pay an additional 40.11 paise/ unit on an average, while the consumers of other Escoms will have to bear with an average increase ranging from 24.87 to 26.57 paise/ unit.
The good news for the domestic consumers in all the Escoms is that there is no increase in tariff for the first 100 units consumed by them.
They have to pay an additional 30 paise/ unit for the consumption from 101 to 200 units, and additional 40 paise from 200 to 300 units, 50 paise from 300 to 400 units and 120 paise for the consumption above 400 units.
Sources said this has been done with a twin objective of ensuring that poor and lower middle class families are not affected and also to discourage indiscriminate use of power by upper middle class and rich segments.
The KERC has continued its previous exercise of classifying consumers as three categories of those in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, urban local bodies and village panchayat areas.
The increase for those in ULBs and VPs are lesser than those in BBMP area. The Irrigation Pump Sets and Bhagya Jyothi/Lutir Jyothi consumers have been spared from hike.
Similarly, the tariff has been increased by 15 to 55 paise / unit for Low Tension (LT) commercial categories in BBMP.
The tariff for LT industries has not been changed for the first 500 units, while they have to pay an additional 35 paise for the consumption between 501 and 1000 units and 30 paise for consumption above 1000 units.
There is an increase of 35 paise and 30 paise / unit for the HT and LT water supply respectively while the street light tariff has gone up by 5 paise/ unit.
There is steep increase of 75 paise to one rupee/ unit for temporary supply.
The increase in tariff for the second slab of consumption among HT industries has been kept lower than that of the first slab to promote power consumption by these high-paying categories.
But the industries have cold shouldered this by pointing out that they are already facing load shedding due to power shortage.
The tariff for HT industries has been increased by 50 paise/ unit for the consumption upto one lakh Kilowatt hours while they have to pay an additional 30 paise for the consumption beyond one lakh KWHs.
The HT commercial categories such as shopping malls will have to bear with a steep hike of 75 to 80 paise/ unit while the HT residential apartments will have to pay 70 paise more for every unit.
Capture the rain | | | Indian Express
Capture the rain | | | Indian Express
Capture the rain
Express News Service First Published : 19 Nov 2009 05:22:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 19 Nov 2009 07:51:13 AM IST
SEEMS like Bangalore is getting more serious about cracking down on those who do not make good use of rain water. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairman PB Ramamurthy said on Wednesday, “The department will cut water supply to those who do not comply with the ‘Rain Water Harvesting’ (RWH) norms.” After inaugurating RWH Help Desk at Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology’s (KSCST) premises, Ramamurthy said that according to the norms all houses that are constructed in plots measuring 2,400 sqft and above must install RWH mechanism by the end of September 2010.
BWSSB and KSCST will be organising various programmes in different parts of the city to create awareness about RWH and to promote its implementation.
Measures have been taken to ensure that the RWH mechanism is installed in all government buildings in the city within the next three months. BWSSB has already installed RWH in 20 of its buildings and is in the process of installing it in 12 more buildings.
“To make the advanced of RWH available to the people we are providing free certified training to 1,000 plumbers, contractors and architects. The names and contact details of the trained people would be posted on BWSSB’s workshop to facilitate the installation of RWH. All the details pertaining to RWH can be obtained from our helpdesk,” he added.
The helpdesk will be open from Monday to Friday in between 9.00 am and 5.30 pm.
bngexpresso@expressbuzz.com
Capture the rain
Express News Service First Published : 19 Nov 2009 05:22:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 19 Nov 2009 07:51:13 AM IST
SEEMS like Bangalore is getting more serious about cracking down on those who do not make good use of rain water. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairman PB Ramamurthy said on Wednesday, “The department will cut water supply to those who do not comply with the ‘Rain Water Harvesting’ (RWH) norms.” After inaugurating RWH Help Desk at Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology’s (KSCST) premises, Ramamurthy said that according to the norms all houses that are constructed in plots measuring 2,400 sqft and above must install RWH mechanism by the end of September 2010.
BWSSB and KSCST will be organising various programmes in different parts of the city to create awareness about RWH and to promote its implementation.
Measures have been taken to ensure that the RWH mechanism is installed in all government buildings in the city within the next three months. BWSSB has already installed RWH in 20 of its buildings and is in the process of installing it in 12 more buildings.
“To make the advanced of RWH available to the people we are providing free certified training to 1,000 plumbers, contractors and architects. The names and contact details of the trained people would be posted on BWSSB’s workshop to facilitate the installation of RWH. All the details pertaining to RWH can be obtained from our helpdesk,” he added.
The helpdesk will be open from Monday to Friday in between 9.00 am and 5.30 pm.
bngexpresso@expressbuzz.com
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