Bengaluru: No progress on project to reduce unaccounted-for water

Bengaluru: BWSSB’s ambitious project to reduce the percentage of Unaccounted for Water (UFW) is limping along with no major progress made.

The 700-crore project was launched in 2012 in three of its seven divisions, aiming to reduce the leakage percentage of water from 46 to 16 per cent by 2016 end. 

But till date the UFW percentage has been brought down only by 2 per cent.

BWSSB intended to re-direct the saved water to the parched throats of 110 villages that were added to the BBMP. The delay has just made the wait for Cauvery that much longer for 110 villages.

Questioned over the delay in the project, BWSSB chief engineer Mr Kemparamaiah responded with, "In South zone most of the works have been completed and we are saving around 40 MLD of water. UFW percentage in South zone has been brought down from 49 per cent to 28 per cent, which will be further reduced and brought down to 16 per cent soon."

Works were delayed in the central and west zone because the contractor Suez-SPML had some financial problems. Also, since replacing old and leaking pipes need a lot of labour, the work was delayed, he explained.

"We have given an extension of 6 months for west zone and 3 months for the central zone. With the already-completed works, UFW percentage in west zone has been brought down to 32 per cent from 51 per cent and in central zone it has come down from 53 per cent to 42 per cent", Mr Kemparamaiah said.

Asked about why there was no significant improvement in the reduction of overall percentage of UFW from 46 per cent, Mr Kemparamaiah said "Officials have been given a target to reduce a minimum of 2 percent every month. Once the works in central and west divisions are completed we will be able to show overall improvement by reducing UFW by a bigger percentage and maintain it."