The News Review:

- 90-lakh action plan drafted for water supply in Guntur
- Daily water supply from Jan. 1
- COMMENT: Water becomes the new oil as world runs dry
- Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas/Southwest

90-lakh action plan drafted for water supply in Guntur
Hindu – Dec 27, 2007
90 lakh action plan to ensure proper water supply during summer. The action plan is likely to be initiated by February 10. Guntur Municipal Commissioner Siddhartha Jain, Mayor Kanna Nagaraju, Southern Power Distribution Company Limited, A.

Daily water supply from Jan. 1
Hindu – Dec 27, 2007
Ifthekhar New year gift for a population of about two lakh in the city HYDERABAD: Hyderabadis have something to cheer about in the new year. They can look forward to daily water supply in the next few days. However, this new year gift will not be available to all. Only a population of about two lakh will be able to enjoy the elixir of life on a daily basis. Come January 1, some 30,000 connections in the twin cities will start getting daily supplies. This benefit will be extended to all the 4…
65 lakh connections, including those residing in the adjoining 12 municipalities, in a phased manner by June 2008. The areas benefiting in the first lot are those where the distribution network is strong and adequate to support the supply. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is keeping the areas which will receive daily water a closely guarded secret. The government is expected to announce shortly the ‘lucky names’ with much fanfare. The HMWSSB is spending close to Rs. 70 crore to make the necessary infrastructure improvement in the GHMC area for the daily supply. It requires another Rs.

COMMENT: Water becomes the new oil as world runs dry
Pakistan Dawn – Dec 27, 2007
As Cochabamba illustrates, water is an explosive issue in developing countries, where people have traditionally received supplies for free from local wells and rivers. But in the past 15 years rapid industrialisation, especially in places such as China, has led to widespread pollution and degradation of the local environment. A report out recently from accountancy giant Deloitte and Touche says humans seem to have a peculiar talent for making previously abundant resources scarce: This is especially the case with water, it observes. According to the firm’s findings, more than one billion people will lack access to clean water by next year. Paul Lee, research director at Deloitte, and one of the authors of the report, says: Demand for water is expected to be driven by economic growth and population increases. India’s demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 2020. The World Wildlife Fund has forecast that in the Himalayas, the retreat of glaciers could reduce summer water flows by up to two-thirds…
According to the firm’s findings, more than one billion people will lack access to clean water by next year. Paul Lee, research director at Deloitte, and one of the authors of the report, says: Demand for water is expected to be driven by economic growth and population increases. India’s demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 2020. The World Wildlife Fund has forecast that in the Himalayas, the retreat of glaciers could reduce summer water flows by up to two-thirds. In the Ganges area, this would cause a water shortage for 500 million people. Lee says: The lack of the most important form of liquid in the world is therefore a fundamental issue and one that the technology sector can play a major role in addressing. He and others, including the World Bank, believe that private industry can sometimes solve problems by taking water out of government hands and removing subsidies.

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas/Southwest
Dallas Morning News – Dallas Morning News (subscription) – Dec 27, 2007
When the lake opened in the mid-1960s, the annual allocation was 126,000 acre feet. “The cutbacks are proportional to their allocations,” said Kent Satterwhite, the authority’s general manager. The authority supplies water to Pampa, Borger, Amarillo, Plainview, Lubbock, Slaton, Tahoka, O’Donnell, Lamesa, Brownfield and Levelland. If the level continues to drop, officials may need to consider costly engineering options, like installing pumps to get water that the current infrastructure wouldn’t be able to reach. Even though last year’s allotment of 85,000 acre feet was more than the cities used, the cutbacks have forced some cities to realize their water supplies are finite. Amarillo is buying its own water rights and adding wells in Potter and Carson counties, Satterwhite said. In Lubbock, planners warn that continued dips in the lake could trigger drought restrictions in 2010.