Invest Karnataka 2016: No takers for BWSSB's projects

Bengaluru: Among many ambitious projects which did not attract investors during the Invest Karnataka 2016, even the BWSSB’s pet projects- Cauvery Water for 110 villages and Transmission of raw Cauvery Water to Bengaluru had no takers.

Ever since these projects were conceptualized in 2010 and 2011 respectively, it’s become an uphill task for the BWSSB, to produce any funding for these projects.

Anticipating, the big-ticket event Invest Karnataka, could bring in some respite, the Board displayed these projects during the three-day meet, but no agency expressed any desire to fund them.

Now, the BWSSB, has made some minor changes to the Final Detailed Project Report (DPR), of Cauvery Water, for 110 villages and has submitted it to the Central Government on February 3, for its final approval.

A top official, said, “There will be no big returns from both projects- Cauvery Water for 110 villages and the Transmission of raw Cauvery Water to Bengaluru, so they have received a lukewarm response, ever since they were proposed.”

While the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), struck down the proposal in 2010 as the BWSSB, did not have enough water to supply to these villages, in 2009 the central government was not very happy with the DPR for the project.

Last week, the BWSSB, made some significant changes in the DPR, before its submission to the Central Government.

“The cost of the project will remain the same at Rs 5,000 crores, but one work component which was changed, will cost us Rs 700 crores. We have stated that the BWSSB, will be able to supply water to the 110 villages from the water that is saved through the Unaccounted Flow of Water project (UFW), and by commissioning the project in six divisions, we hope to save at least 260 MLD of water that has been  going wasted, which has now been emphasized in the project,” the official said.

He added that the other work proposed at the cost of Rs 700 crores has been dropped and will be replaced with the UFW project in the final DPR.
When the project to supply water for 110 villages is fully commissioned, the villages under

Byatarayanapura, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Dasarahalli will finally get water through a 2,817-km pipeline network. They are largely dependent on borewells and tankers currently.