Three years after chalking out an ambitious proposal to revive the Arkavati — emulating London’s rejuvenation of the Thames — the State government is still waiting for the participation of international bidders.
Although the government floated global expression of interest (GEOI) for the project twice, not a single international bidder who qualified according to norms participated. Now the government is in a fix. It is planning to consult experts on whether to float the GEOI again for the third time or go ahead with the project involving local bidders.
Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said the project was aimed at filling the dwindling Thippagondanahalli and Hessarghatta reservoirs. While recharging the depleting groundwater table, the plan is to provide water to two-thirds of the city’s population, he said.
In the context of local sources of water drying up, the city is currently only dependent on the 1,350 mld of water drawn from the Cauvery through four stages. The newly added areas have had to depend on the ever-dwindling groundwater.
Alternative modelsAravind Galagali, member of the Arkavati project’s technical committee, said with no bidders meeting the tender conditions, the idea was to now look at “best practices” within the country. Asked if the Thames model itself would be dropped, he said: “We will consult experts and try to implement the project with national bidders. We may also study the Sabarmati riverfront development project,” he said.
The banks of Arkavati — which starts from the Nandi Hills, meanders around Bengaluru and finally joins the Cauvery near Kanakapura — are dotted with layouts, houses and commercial structures. With its tanks and channels fast drying up, the government has spent Rs. 29 crore since 2013 unsuccessfully on its rejuvenation.
Until four years ago, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) relied on the Arkavati-fed Thippagondanahalli reservoir to supply water to north and west Bengaluru. By November 2012, the water-level had plummeted to 6 ft in the reservoir. While it has risen again to nearly 39 ft, the water is not usable as it is contaminated with sewage and effluents from the many surrounding layouts and industries.
EncroachmentsJanardhan Kesargadde from Arkavati-Kumudavati Nadi Punaschetana Samiti asserted that rampant encroachment in the catchment has reduced inflow into the river. “Encroachment on channels and tanks disperse water for evaporation and do not allow it to join the stream properly, thus reducing inflow into the river,” he added.
