Cauvery IV Stage-Phase II yet to get off ground

Cauvery IV Stage-Phase II yet to get off ground
By P M Raghunandan DH News Service Bangalore:
Estimated to cost Rs 3,340 crore, the Cauvery IVth Stage, II Phase project - supposed to have begun by end-2005 and completed by 2011 - is yet to start.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has appointed a consultant to work out the nitty-gritty of the much-awaited Cauvery IVth Stage, II Phase project -- almost two years after the foundation stone was laid for the project.

NJS, a Japan-based firm, was appointed as the consultant recently to, among other things, prepare the Detailed Project Report, designs for implementation at various phases, chalk out tender conditions, conduct geo-technical testing at the project site and work out the cost estimates, a top BWSSB official told Deccan Herald.

Estimated to cost Rs 3,340 crore, the project -- supposed to have begun by end-2005 and completed by 2011 -- is expected to pump an additional 500 million litres per day (MLD) of water.

Citizens in newly-added areas of Bruhat Bangalore (erstwhile CMCs) have pinned their hopes on this project for meeting their drinking water needs. In fact, it is only after completion of this project that BWSSB will be able to provide drinking water to residents in these areas.

According to Board officials, the consultant firm is yet to set up its office here. The firm has sought eight months’ time to submit its report, based on which the Board will call tenders for the project implementation.

This process will take another six months. In all, the project will actually begin, if everything goes well, only a full one year from now.

The then Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had inaugurated the project work with much fanfare. The then minister for Bangalore City development Ramalinga Reddy had announced that the project would be completed well before its 2011 deadline.

In November 2005, BWSSB put out a global tender and called for Expression of Interest for consultants.



Objections

When the process was almost complete, one of the bidding firms raised objections with regard to “lack of clarity” in the notification and even threatened to move the court. The Board was, thus, forced to go for re-tendering, resulting in the delay.

BWSSB Chairman N C Muniyappa has said that under no circumstances will the completion of the project be delayed. “Whatever time is lost, will be made up for while executing the project,” he added.