The News Review:

- Jalanidhi project to be redesigned
- Pilloor line burst: crisis being managed, says Mayor
- Water audit warns of overuse
- China to raise water quality standards -officials

Jalanidhi project to be redesigned
Hindu – Jun 29, 2007
Premachandran says the Government is negotiating with the World Bank. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The World Bank-aided Rs. 1,200-crore Jalanidhi project to provide piped water supply to areas in the State not getting the facility at present is being redesigned removing some of the conditions in its original version, Water Resources Minister N. Premachandran told the Assembly on Thursday. Replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department, Mr. Premachandran said the State Government was negotiating with the World Bank certain changes in the conditions set by it for implementing the project…
Premachandran said that, since the funds at the disposal of the Government would be sizeable under this project, bigger schemes too would be planned. The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) too would associate with the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in carrying out the works, he said. He said the KWA would complete 99 water supply schemes, including 27 major ones, during the current financial year. Describing the details of several ongoing big water supply schemes, he said the Rs. 2,600-crore project aided by Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, which would benefit more than 43 lakh people, would be completed by August 2008. Mullaperiyar issue Mr. Premachandran said the State would strongly argue the need for constructing a new dam at Mullaperiyar to replace the more-than-a-century old lime and mortar dam there, when the case relating to the dispute over the strength of the existing dam next came up in the Supreme Court.

Pilloor line burst: crisis being managed, says Mayor
Hindu – Jun 29, 2007
Something should be done to ensure that the water hammer pressure does not occur. ”The Mayor said that the improvement in storage in the Siruvani Dam was helping the Corporation manage the problems caused by the Pilloor line burst. Supply under the Siruvani scheme also was reduced two days ago when trees uprooted by gusty winds snapped power lines and affected water treatment at the plant near the dam. Regular treatment and supply resumed on Thursday.

Water audit warns of overuse
The Australian – Jun 29, 2007
In an effort to guard against the overuse of water, the report suggests tinkering with a key definition in the National Water Initiative – Australia’s blueprint on water reform – relating to allocation levels and strengthening the regulation of farm dams. Australian Water Resources 2005, prepared for the National Water Commission, identifies 22 water management areas across the country that may be under stress because of entitlement and allocations policies and practices. They include the Great Artesian and Lake Eyre basins, and the water supplies for Adelaide and Perth. Longer-term monitoring is required to properly assess risks, the report says. The report, which will be released in coming days, provides a snapshot of the water situation in 2004-05, the year the National Water Initiative was established. It provides a benchmark to assess the progress of the initiative. A key objective of the report – the assessment of river and wetland health – was not possible due to a lack of relevant data.

China to raise water quality standards -officials
Reuters AlertNet – Jun 29, 2007
0 article header end –>. Some 71 new standards, including limits on microbe content, organic matter and disinfectants, would come into effect from July 1, health officials said at a news conference on Friday. "From that time, people in urban and rural areas will have the same water hygiene standards," said Zhang Chengyu, vice secretary of the Regulation Department of Ministry of Health. Zhang said China would soon establish a national network to inspect water quality, and had already rolled out a pilot monitoring scheme in seven provinces from May this year. In a country where millions of people lack regular access to safe drinking water due to drought and pollution, Beijing has grappled with a string of algae outbreaks that have endangered water supplies in recent weeks…
0 article header end –>. Some 71 new standards, including limits on microbe content, organic matter and disinfectants, would come into effect from July 1, health officials said at a news conference on Friday. "From that time, people in urban and rural areas will have the same water hygiene standards," said Zhang Chengyu, vice secretary of the Regulation Department of Ministry of Health. Zhang said China would soon establish a national network to inspect water quality, and had already rolled out a pilot monitoring scheme in seven provinces from May this year. In a country where millions of people lack regular access to safe drinking water due to drought and pollution, Beijing has grappled with a string of algae outbreaks that have endangered water supplies in recent weeks.