GBWAS project: Newly-added BBMP zones now included

GBWAS project: Newly-added BBMP zones now included
By S Lalitha, DH News Service, Bangalore:
All the 250 wards of the newly added BBMP zones have now been included under the Greater Bangalore Water Supply (GBWAS) project of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of board officials on January 28 after reviewing the pace of the project.

Only 72 wards of the erstwhile CMC and TMC areas were included in this Rs 450-crore project earlier. These areas are set to receive Cauvery water by the end of 2008, BWSSB chairperson Latha Krishnarao told Deccan Herald.

“We had initially planned to include them in the project only by the end of 2010 or early 2011 but have taken a decision to bring them under the scheme now itself.”

The project will be completed in a phased manner, she added.

Infrastructure work related to the project like laying of feeder main line and distribution network is going on at a hectic pace now and will be completed much before next year end. A top official said that 46% of feeder main lines and 96% of distribution network pipelines have been completed.

Right to Way
“Laying of infrastructure work in Hosur road, Mahadevapura, Byatarayanapura and old Madras road are facing some problems due to Right of Way issues,” he said.

“We would not be initially able to provide the people of the wards newly brought under the project with water to the required limit of 150 litres per capita per day (LPCD). We will initially give them 80 to 100 LPCD to cater to their drinking and cooking purposes,” the chairperson said. They will have to make use of borewell water for other purposes.

The GBWAS project is funded by beneficiary contributions from the public, the State government and as well as the mega city loan and municipal bonds it provides.

Taps were turned on by Governor Rameshwar Thakur at K R Puram on December 3 to inaugurate water supply to the 72 wards.

Waiver of penalty likely?
The BWSSB has written to the government to waive off the additional charges (or penalty fee) imposed on those who did not meet the deadline date for new water connections under the GBWAS scheme.

“I have written to the Secretary, Urban Development Ministry, Mr Jyotiramalingam to waive off the additional charges from July 2005 up to March 2007 due to representations in this connection from a number of resident welfare associations,” said chairperson Latha Krishnarao. “We are expecting a decision in this regard to be taken between 10 and 15 days. The consequent loss on account of this will not affect BWSSB as the board did not look at this amount as a source of revenue,” she added.