More water from the Cauvery to be pumped to Bangalore

More water from the Cauvery to be pumped to Bangalore

Special Correspondent
Work begins on second phase of Cauvery scheme fourth stage
— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Augmented: Thirty more vehicles for cleaning sewers were handed over to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in Bangalore on Monday.
BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday launched work on the second phase of the fourth stage of the Cauvery Drinking Water Supply Scheme to bring an additional 500 million litres a day (MLD) to Bangalore city.

Speaking at the launch function here, the Chief Minister said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had provided a loan of Rs. 3,384 crore to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for implementing the project, and Rs. 300 crore had been earmarked for 2009-10.

Under the scheme, water from the Cauvery will be diverted from Shiva anicut to Torekadanahalli, where it will be treated. It will then be pumped to Bangalore from the T.K. Halli, Harohalli and Tataguni pumping centres, he said.

The BWSSB, established in 1964, conceived the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme and implemented the first stage in 1974. Three more stages were implemented in 1982, 1993 and 2002. In all, the scheme has four stages, and out of the 840 MLD it currently supplies, 810 MLD is supplied to Bangalore.

The BWSSB will get the steel plates required for the 2,700-mm diameter pipes from Steel Authority of India Ltd. SAIL will supply 86,000 tonnes of MS plates at a cost of Rs. 350 crore. Plants for manufacturing pipes from these steel plants have been set up at Harohalli, Jakkasandra and Torekadanahalli.

Mr. Yeddyurappa distributed certificates of interest waiver on water bill arrears to a few slum residents. The BWSSB has over 5.70 lakh water connections all over the city and supplies 960 MLD of water daily. Slum residents who failed to pay their bills in time are now unable to pay the bills because of the interest that has accrued. The Government decided to waive the interest. This will benefit over 12,000 residents of 127 slums and cost the BWSSB Rs. 5 crore. Each beneficiary will get interest waiver of Rs. 4,200.

Handed over
Mr. Yeddyurappa handed over 30 jetting vehicles to the BWSSB for cleaning sewers.

The Board already operates 46 such vehicles. The cost of each vehicle is Rs. 20.50 lakh and the BWSSB has spent Rs. 6.15 crore to purchase them.

BWSSB Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, Minister for Transport R. Ashok, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje and Bangalore city MLAs were present at the function.