By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE, May 20, 2009: The Asian Development Bank has come forwarded to fund Rs. 25,000 crore to implement a drinking water scheme in 219 urban local bodies (ULBs) in Karnataka.

The scheme aimed to supply drinking water from surface water sources in major ULBs. Now households were being supplied with water drawn from borewells by the civic authorities in various cities and towns in the state.

The Urban Development Department with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank has proposed to take up the mega project in ULBs from this fiscal year.

Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar told reporters that the scheme or programme, named as Kannada Ganga would be implemented in all the 219 cities and towns. He said that project cost would be more than Rs.25,000 crore. For the past few years, the State has been implementing several drinking water schemes with the aid of the World Bank, JBIC and ADB.

Mr. Kumar held a meeting with Urban Development officials and said one more meeting would be convened by the Department on May 27 to discuss the issue in detail.

A detailed project report containing the works to be undertaken would be prepared. A list of cities and towns and the sources of water such as rivers and reservoirs would be ready. Of the 219 cities, he said 170 were getting water from these sources partially. A large number of areas in 49 others were still being provided with bore well water. Nearly 40 per cent of water goes waste due to leakages in ULBs, he said.

The minister said that the works would be taken up wherever surface water was available. The drinking water project undertaken in Mysore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission was being reviewed every month and it would be completed by 2011-12.

Action plans for laying underground drainage line at a cost of Rs.180 crore and drinking water supply line at a cost of Rs.250 crore in Belgaum would be prepared. Eight wards in the city were getting drinking water 24x7 and the facility would be extended to other wards too. Solid waste management work was also under progress in the city.

Seven city corporations in the city had been asked to prepare plans for utilising Rs.119 crore sanctioned by Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa and the same would be completed in three months. Committees set up under the chairmanship of the in-charge ministers of the districts would monitor the progress and quality of the works.

A website would be launched to inform other civic bodies about the best practices implemented in Mysore and other corporations. In Davanagere, drain-cum-ducts were being built on one-km stretch for avoiding unnecessary digging work. Wherever concrete works were required, the corporations have been asked to use ready-mix concrete only and if necessary such plants would be set up. All the bodies have been asked to give works above Rs.10 lakhs through e-tendering.

All the city corporations, except Bangalore, had done well in the collection of property tax and they had collected Rs.90 crore as against the target of 87 crore. The Bangalore City Corporation does not come under purview of the minister.

No move to privatise water

BANGALORE: Karnataka Government on Wednesday ruled out privatisation of drinking water supply and made it clear that it would continue to be managed by the civic bodies in the state.

Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar who held a meeting with senior officers of the Urban Development Department told reporters that he had opposed the privatisation of drinking water proposal by the government.

Stating that there was no question of treating water as a commodity and this important civic responsibility would not be privatised, he added the government would not pursue anti-people policies.

On the government move to privatising water supply in Mysore, he said that Jamshedpur Urban Services Company (JASCO) had been asked to lay pipeline in the city. There was wrong perception among the people of the city and the company would maintain the pipeline for three years, repair, if necessary and train personnel. The JASCO, the minister said would work 24x7 and would be engaged only in technical works. He clarified that the government would fix water tariff.