Water

The Calcutta Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Authority (CMWSA) project is expected to be ready in a year and a half.

Jamshedpur Utility Service Company will execute the project with funds sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, said a CMWSA official. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 140 crore, with an initial allotment of Rs 30 crore to begin work.

"We have finished soil testing. Piling will start shortly," said N. De, the officer on special duty.

After completion, Jamshedpur Utility Service Company will hand over the plant to the CMWSA, which will be responsible for its operations and maintenance.

The chairman of borough XIII, Ratna Sur, termed the project "a boon" for residents of the area. "There is an acute scarcity of water in summer. We hope the problem will be solved after the plant is commissioned."

She said the pumping stations at Siriti and Daspara, built with funds provided under the urban renewal mission, had not served their purpose. "Garden Reach water works was supposed to benefit residents of Behala, Thakurpukur and the adjacent areas, but that hasn't happened as water from the plant is supplied to Ballygunge and Tollygunge," she complained.

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) will not conduct the mandatory probe to ascertain the necessity of drawing water from the underground aquifer before renewing the licence.

After the renewal, the civic authorities will get in touch with the directorate for registration of the tubewells. "We will soon issue a notification on the matter," said Subhabrata Basu Roy, the superintending geologist of the directorate.

According to civic rules, the licence of a deep tubewell has to be renewed every year. Most deep tubewells are now running without a licence, as the applications for renewal have been lying with the civic water supply department, pending investigation reports.

State commerce and industries secretary, Sabyasachi Sen, on Wednesday said two separate committees have been formed. One to review the amount of land sought by industry for setting up plants and the other, to review how to supply water to those.

At present, there are at least 14 proposals for steel plants in the state. The government has formed a committee, headed by former managing director of Durgapur Steel Plant S K Bhattacharya, to review whether land sought in each of the proposals is justified or if they could do with less land. Companies like Jindal Steel, Adhunik Steel, Abhijit Steel, Videocon, Bharat Forge, Shyam Steel and Jai Balaji Group are some of those, who have expressed interest in setting up plants in the state. This committee will soon sit for its first meeting.

A group of 40 maulavis led by Noor Rahman Barquati, Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid met the Mayor on Thursday to resolve the stalemate on the work of laying water pipeline in ward 59, Tilajala.

A few weeks ago, some locals had forced the workers of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to stop work on a drinking water pipeline project in Tiljala.

The KMC was laying the pipeline through a burial ground after which a mob allegedly resorted to force and removed the pipelines.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) and State Environment Assessment Committee (SEAC) have framed guidelines and norms for the builders. However, most of the builders are flouting the norms and are building residential complexes without any space for rainwater harvesting.

“The environment department has made rainwater harvesting mandatory for projects with or more than 20,000 square meter built-up spaces. There are some builders who have come to us with the problems they are facing. Since they have initiated the issue, we are trying to find a solution for them. A government body consisting of experts has been set up to help them out,” said Principal Secretary M L Meena, department of environment.

However, most of the big builders are either not aware of these norms and guidelines or cannot afford to include rainwater harvesting in their existing or upcoming projects.

“We are trying to follow the guidelines framed by the WBPCB. As far as rainwater harvesting is concerned, it has not been implemented in our projects till now since it incurs a huge cost. In Rajarhat residential complexes we could not manage to have the space for rainwater harvesting, but in our upcoming projects we are trying to have that,” said Sankalan Dutta, marketing manger, Bengal Shelter Housing Development Ltd.

Speaking at the seminar, "Showcase US - Water", regional president of Indo American Chamber of Commerce, Sutanu Ghosh said, "The report has pointed out that central Kolkata is witnessing a drop of five to 16 metres, and it is worse in Haldia with the level going down by eight to 10 metres."

On the other hand, out of 341 blocks in the state, groundwater level has reached a "critical and semi-critical" condition in 75 blocks. In 41 blocks, the ground water is high in fluoride content, while in 59 blocks, including south Kolkata, the water is extremely saline. The report also says that India would face a tremendous water crisis during the next two decades. US consul-general, Henry V. Jardine said, "Projections show that India could be a water scarce country by 2025."

How prepared is the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to tackle this year's monsoon?
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) within its available infrastructure is better prepared this year. It has already taken several measures to discharge rain water and if we can implement such plans properly then it will tackling water-logging effectively.
We are also carrying out work on the augmentation of our pumping stations.

Will there be any improvements in areas like Behala, Ultadanga and Thanthania this year?
Some visible improvements are expected to be seen in these areas, particularly in Ultadanga, where a new pumping station has been put into operation.
Improvements are also expected in Behala where sufficient sewerage re-laying work under the Kolkata Environment Improvement Project (KEIP) has been completed. In these areas we have been able to connect the sewer systems with the outfall canals of the area.

Does KMC blame anyone for water-logging in the city? Does it seek people's help in this regard?
The very idea that there will be no water-logging in the city is Utopian. We should rather try to reduce incidents of water-logging and its duration. However, all such attempts are dependent on the intensity of the rainfall.
We also seek active participation from the people to keep the city sewerage system free from choking. Usage of plastics needs to be reduced if not stopped completely.

Mr Sen said: "To ensure extensive industrial and human resource growth in this sub-region we shall be requiring 250 million gallons of water everyday. The collective supply of water by the DVC and the state irrigation department stands at 90 million gallons per day now leading to a shortfall in supply of 160 million gallons everyday. We have proposed a long term and a short term plan to meet the future demand."

New avenues are to be explored to meet the need of bulk water supply under the proposed master-plan, the minister said. The ADDA and the DVC have been asked to estimate the volume of surplus water that couldn't be preserved during the monsoon due to dearth of adequate logistic support.

Mr Sen said: "New dams are to be constructed in the upper catchment of the Damodar river to help preserve the surplus rain water, but the Centre is yet to give clearance to the project. This would also help preventing flood in south Bengal districts like Howrah and Hooghly." The floods in the lower reaches of the Damodar river, affecting the Hooghly and Howrah districts, according to the senior DVC officials occur because the Lower Damodar Drainage Scheme, initially part of a DVC project, was never implemented by the state government. Also, human settlements have increasingly encroached on the river's drainage channel in several places.

Four more dams were planned at Balpahari, Aiyar, Bokaro and Bermo, all in Jharkhand, but the project was never taken up seriously. In the first phase of the project, however, four dams at Maithon and Panchet in West Bengal and at Konar and Tilaiya in Jharkhand and a barrage at Durgapur were constructed with a total flood reserve capacity of 1,295 million cubic metres. DVC officials said that a central government agency - WAPCOS (Water & Power Consultancy) Limited has been asked to find out ways to make the Damodar valley more water potential.

Two reservoirs had been inaugurated in the municipality (consisting of 14 wards) from 1978-1980 but 10 years later, drinking water scarcity became an issue again.

The lack of maintenance rendered the two reservoirs decrepit resulting in the disruption of water supply.

Later a group of scientists found that the water in some wards of the municipality were arsenic contaminated. An NGO undertook a survey of the area and the municipality closed some of the tube-wells afterwards, declaring them as arsenic-affected.

The ordeal of the local people has been acute since then as they do not get water from the two reservoirs or the tube-wells. They have to drink pond water which is highly unhygienic.

Discontent has been brewing up among the locals as arsenic-free water is being supplied at Bahru, which is adjacent to Joynagar. Two year back the municipality made an effort to reopen the reservoirs. Roads were dug up, pipes were laid bare, but the exercise turned futile.

Mr Prasanta Sarkhel, the chairman of the Joynagar Mazilpur Municipality, however, dismissed the problem of water scarcity at Joynagar. He accused the state government for the dilapidated condition of the reservoirs. He told The Statesman that the municipality run by the Congress is being treated in a step-motherly attitude in regards to the allotment and timely release of funds. "Unless the state government deals with the Congress-run civic body fairly, the reservoirs would be lying neglected," he said.

A decision in this regard was taken at the board-of-councillors meeting of the Bidhannagar Municipality, today.
This comes as a deviation from the municipality's previous decision where it was supposed to collect water tax from residential houses on the basis of property tax rates. Ferrule size was the determinant for commercial buildings until water meters are installed.

However, the officials later felt that installing meters first and then charging water tax was a much viable and scientific option.
Moreover, chances of a dispute would be reduced if water tax is charged after installing water meters.

"Water meters will soon be installed in both residential and commercial buildings and based on the consumption levels water tax would be charged. Talks are on to determine when these meters could be installed," chairman-in-council (water) Mr Tapan Talukdar, said.

Interestingly, the civic body had also planned to install water meters during the previous board's tenure under the chairmanship of Mr Dilip Gupta but plans had not materialised then, an official said.

The entire amount will be spent on laying a 64-inch water main pipe from Palta, the water production centre, to Tallah pumping station. This pipe will replace the current 60-inch pipe, which was laid more than 150 years ago. After the pipe is laid, Kolkatans will get an additional 70 million gallons of water per day.

Currently, the city gets 210 million gallons of potable water every day. Though the civic body went in for augmentation of water supply since 2003 and the supply increased from 180 million gallons to 280 million gallons, the century-old pipeline could not carry additional water.

The worn-out pipe has developed several leaks and cracked several times. In September 2006, it got breached on BT Road near the Indian Statistical Institute. A team of engineers took three days to restore normal water supply.

It was not a cakewalk for Bandyopadhyay or KMC water supply director-general Bivas Maity to bag the multi-crore project in favour of the city. "We had to convince the Centre through a powerpoint presentation about the necessity of such a project for Kolkata," said Bandyopadhyay.

The KMC engineers will have to lay the 64-inch pipe under a 24-kilometre stretch on BT Road in 35 months. The new 64-inch pipe will be laid in two different ways. "The first 12 km will be laid after digging the road and the next 12 km will be done by micro tunnelling," the municipal commissioner said.

Officials said that a decision to form this empowered board was taken as per a resolution taken in the mayor-in-council meeting of the KMC held on 9 May this year. "In earlier cases the DG (Project Management Unit) was entitled to take decision on water body related issues. His suggestions were sent to the MMiC (environment) based on which a final decision was arrived at," officials said.

According to a circular issued by the municipal commissioner, Mr Alapan Bandopadhyay (municipal commissioner's circular no. 09 of 2008-09) the empowered board will prepare a list of existing water bodies in the 141 wards of KMC. A similar list was prepared by former mayor Mr Prasanta Chatterjee.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the works and tender committee held in the conference room of Unnayan Bhavan, recently. The project will be constructed on turn key basis. The committee has advised the wing resposible for setting up the pumping station to invite fresh tenders.

A senior KMDA official said, steps have already been taken to augment the supply of drinking water to south Kolkata and the fringes where the population growth is very high. Hectic construction activities are going on in the southern fringes and to cope with the situation, it is necessary to increase the supply of drinking water. Steps have already been taken to do away with deep tube wells as the ground water level has been receding in the city particularly in south Kolkata.

The civic authorities and the water investigation directorate have already imposed restrictions on deep tube wells. A committee headed by the municipal commissioner has been set up to prevent unauthorised sinking plant of deep tube wells.

He said that work is being going on so that there is a remarkable rise in the supply of drinking water in the city by 2010. It may be recalled that the KMC has already decided to impose water tax in the city. Also, thrust will be to reduce wastage of drinking water.

The People's United For Better Living in Kolkata (PUBLIC) an NGO working for the preservation of the wetland in the city - had filed a writ petition to stop the construction of the plant at Dhapa.

"The main function of the plant is to treat water and provide continuous fresh sweet water to these areas," said Bibhas Maity, the Chief Engineer of the Water Supply department in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

"With our present strength of boosting pumping stations, we are not in a position to supply adequate water to this area," he added.

A senior engineer of KMC's Planning and Development department, which is looking after the project, said: "If the legal hurdles do not get sorted out before October, there are chances that the fund will have to be returned."

Incidentally, the sweet water table in this part of the city is in a better condition. While the store of the sweet water table in the rest of the city is below 7 mts, in this region, it is only 4 mts.

The project has been taken up by the civic body on a 20-acre plot at Dhapa in eastern Kolkata to supply arsenic-free water to the eastern part of the city.

People United for Better Living In Calcutta (PUBLIC), an NGO, had filed a public interest litigation in the high court alleging that the proposed project for the water treatment plant was taken up by violating the Eastern Kolkata Wetland Management Act, 2006. Under Section 10 of the Act, it was clearly said that the character of a wetland can't be changed. The PIL had contended that only an area development project could be taken up on such land.

The matter came up for hearing before the division Bench of Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice P C Ghosh. Appearing for KMC, senior advocate Shaktinath Mukherjee submitted in defence that this was a very important project because potable water would be supplied from the treatment plant to the arsenic-prone eastern part of the city.