Even as Bangaloreans are grappling with acute shortage of drinking water this summer, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has vowed to make the next summer better.
The board, which has identified 26 special officers to monitor water supply and regulate valve operations across the city, is struggling to supply water to new areas through 84 private tankers procured with the help of area councillors.
On Friday, Minister for BWSSB S. Suresh Kumar assured citizens that the situation would be better next summer.
The second phase of Cauvery Stage IV, which was earlier scheduled to be completed by March 2012, will now be ready by December 2011. This meant that the city would get 500 million litres of water per day (mld) more from December. The trial runs for the additional supply would start from January 2012, he said.
The water board, which was now drawing 885 mld from the Cauvery and Thippagondanahalli reservoir, is facing a shortfall of 365 mld to meet the drinking water requirements of the city.
Work is slow
Addressing presspersons after inspecting the work on the Cauvery IV Stage 2nd Phase project at Tataguni, Harohalli and Thorekadanahalli, Mr. Suresh Kumar said he had asked the contractors to expedite work and try to complete it by September. Work on the project was slow because of shortage of manpower.
“I have asked the contractors to deploy more workforce after Ugadi and ensure that the project is ready by September. Although they have agreed for it, we have fixed a December 2011 deadline,” he said.
“The progress of work on the Rs. 3,500-crore project that started in April 2010 is good. Nearly 67 per cent of work in all the 13 packages has been completed so far and 116 km of the 179 km of pipelines have been laid,” he said.
Hemavathy waters
To augment the city's water supply, the State Government is looking at the feasibility of bringing water from Hemavathy river to the city.
Responding to a letter by Mayor S.K. Nataraj about bringing Hemavathy waters for the city, the Minister said: “We are looking at the feasibility of such a project. We have already had one round of discussions with Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The committee headed by the former BWSSB chairman B.N. Thyagaraj is also exploring various other avenues to augment the city's supply.”
Pumping stations
BWSSB chairman P.B. Ramamurthy said the Cauvery IV Stage 2nd Phase project involved laying 179 km of pipelines from Shiva Balancing Reservoir at T.K. Halli to the city.
“We are also constructing three pumping stations and three ground-level reservoirs at T.K. Halli, Harohalli and Tataguni. A 500 mld sewage treatment plant is also part of the project,” Mr. Ramamurthy added.
