The News Review:

- Water supply from the Bhima to Gulbarga likely to start today
- Water supply to go private
- Water shortage hits Pindi, Islamabad

Water supply from the Bhima to Gulbarga likely to start today
Hindu – Apr 21, 2007
The connecting work at the railway track has also been completed and the entire length of the pipeline was ready to receive water now. Pandey said originally Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB), which is implementing the project, should have completed the work in November 2006. However, due to the delay in the laying of the pipeline, it was extended to March 2006 and then to April 14. He said the delay in laying the pipeline beneath the railway track and the erection of two pumps with a capacity of 1,200 horse power at the pumping station in Saradgi Barrage and the intermediary pumping station at Kotnur near Gulbarga city was the main reason for the administration not keeping its promise to resume supply on alternate days from April 15. He said though the two pumps were erected in time, one of the two electricity panels with other safety equipment, which were to be erected along with the pumps, failed the quality control test. It took three days to procure the new electricity panel with safety equipment to replace the faulty one…
The administration has also sanctioned Rs. 10 lakh for replacing the old valves to prevent leaks. Once water supply on alternate days is resumed, the corporation would take up work to plug leaks and connect the missing links in the distribution system. Pandey said the corporation was also thinking of requesting Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company to impose a power cut in different areas in the city during the supply of drinking water in the pipeline to prevent residents drawing water from the main pipeline using motor pumps.

Water supply to go private
Hindu – Apr 21, 2007
Private agencies will distribute water in the huge conglomeration. So far, the water board was making bulk supplies to the municipalities, which in turn, carry out internal distribution. It will continue bulk supplies, but hand over distribution to private operators. Team to visit city As a first step in that direction, Jessco, a Jamshedpur-based subsidiary of the Tata Group of Companies, handling drinking water supply in the Steel City has been roped in for the purpose. A team of the agency will visit Hyderabad to study the supply system in the municipalities shortly. “After successfully implementing the task there, the agency evinced interest in repeating it here…
Jawahar Reddy told presspersons here on Friday. Focus on infrastructure With limited staff and resources, the fund-starved water board had to come to terms with the staggering area to be covered in the 12 municipalities in its ambit and officials decided to go private. “This will lessen our burden and help us focus on strengthening infrastructure in the city and municipalities,” he said. The entry of private operators, he said, would also help root out illegal connections and glaring gap in the supply volume and revenue. Official estimates put illegal connections at 40 per cent.

Water shortage hits Pindi, Islamabad
Pakistan Dawn – Apr 21, 2007
However, they said the authorities concerned were trying to remove the fault in the filtration plant to improve the supply. They said the existing water reserves in Khanpur Dam were quite satisfactory due to more than normal rains in winter. When contacted, the CDAs director water supply, Jamilur Rehman, said the authority would not go for water rationing in Islamabad this summer due to adequate water reserves in Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam and other reservoirs. The existing reserves of drinking water in Islamabad are sufficient to cater to the needs of its residents till the coming monsoon season, he added. He said water level at Simly Dam recorded on Friday was 2,309 feet against its highest level of 2,315 feet. However, last year, during these days, water level had been recorded at 2,270 feet. The official said a total of 67MGD water was being supplied to the residents of Islamabad including 35 mgd from Simly Dam.