City to have four mini Lalbaghs

ity to have four mini Lalbaghs
Bangalore, DH News Service:
Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 12:00 [IST]

In a bid to replicate the success of the famed Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday announced that four new mini Lalbaghs would be created in the City, giving a fillip to the much needed green cover.


Announcing this after dedicating 30 sewer jetting vehicles to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) at the Banquet Hall in Vidhana Soudha here, he said the proposed mini Lalbaghs would come up at four corners of the City. “We will also form parks in all layouts after identifying land and also propose to construct hospitals and four Bal Bhavans in different parts across the City,” Yeddyurappa said.

Earlier, the chief minister also inaugurated various development and civil works of the BWSSB’s Cauvery water supply scheme. These include augmentation of drinking water supply by implementing the 2nd phase and 4th stage of the Cauvery water supply scheme. “This scheme will bring in an additional 500 MLD (million litres daily) to meet the growing, water needs of the City at a cost of Rs 3383.70 crore. This is being spent with assistance from Japan International Co-operation Association,” the CM added.

Speaking on the occasion, minister Katta Subramnaya Naidu, who holds the BWSSB portfolio, said the government has taken up storm water drain works in newly-added BBMP areas at a cost of Rs 600 crore. “We will soon release Rs 450 crore for improvement of large open drains that are in bad condition in the City,” Naidu added.

CM denies surveillance

Later, speaking to reporters, the chief minister denied charges levelled by the Congress on the issue of surveillance being done on his ministers. “It is absolutely baseless. No minister in my government is under surveillance by any intelligence agency,” Yeddyurappa pointed out and stated that the incident of an intelligence sleuth allegedly taking photographs of Housing Minister S N Krishanaiah Shetty should not be accorded any importance."

Replying to a query on the Cabinet reshuffle, the CM indicated that it is under consideration and a final decision would be taken after consultations with senior party leaders and ministers. “The government will complete one year in office on May 30. The people of the State have reposed faith in the BJP by electing 19 MPs to the Lok Sabha. We will work for the benefit of people,” the CM said.

Jetting vehicle

The 30 new jetting vehicles inducted into the BWSSB, is meant for cleaning sewerage drains in the City.

The total capacity of each vehicle is 6000 liters, with each of them equipped with two sub tankers with a capacity of 3000 liters each. These have a special facility to suck and store, waste water while cleaning drains.

Each of these vehicles have cost the BWSSB Rs 20.50 lakh, with the government spending more than Rs 6.15 crore on purchase of 30 of these jetting vehicles. BWSSB aims to use these to clean clogged drains of sewerage by forcefully pushing water through them.