Latest news with #RamPrasathManohar
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
BWSSB opens bulk booking for BIS-certified ‘Sanchari Cauvery' water for Bengaluru apartments
With numerous apartment complexes spread across the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), especially in the newer areas or on the outskirts, the growing demand for water has put immense strain on groundwater resources, especially due to extraction by private suppliers. To address this, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has now introduced bulk booking for its 'Sanchari Cauvery' water supply service. The Sanchari Cauvery initiative delivers Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified drinking water to residential communities, including apartments and housing complexes. BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said the initiative has been started to reduce excessive dependence on groundwater and maintain water balance in the city How will the process work Booking will be on a first-come, first-served basis Minimum one month advance payment is mandatory System in place to ensure uninterrupted supply through bulk booking Option available to book for a duration of one year Highlighting the situation on the city's outskirts, Mr. Manohar noted that most apartments rely heavily on groundwater. 'People here are buying water through tankers to meet their drinking water needs. Tankers are also supplying water collected from borewells. This is increasing the pressure on groundwater. The BWSSB has taken the decision to reduce this and provide BIS-certified clean drinking water. From now on, apartments will be able to book the BWSSB's drinking water through tankers for their year-round water needs,' he said. According to the BWSSB, the booking system will operate on a first-come, first-served basis and can be accessed through the board's official website or designated contact points. Apartment associations are required to make an advance payment equivalent to at least one month's supply. Describing the project's scale and innovation, the BWSSB Chairman said, 'The Sanchari Cauvery project is India's first technologically advanced tanker project, which is providing essential water to the city through GPS tracking, supply stratification, and supply control centres.' He emphasised the board's long-term vision, stating, 'The BWSSB is transforming into a people's water board. Our aim is to ensure a secure water future for the next generation of Bengaluru. In this regard, this project has been extended to apartments as well with the aim of reducing dependence on groundwater.'
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
BWSSB to up sewage treatment capacity by 470 MLD in 26 new STPs by year-end
The Bangalore Water Treatment and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is working towards adding 470 MLD capacity to treat sewage in 26 new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) by the end of 2025. This would mean an addition of around 35% sewage treatment capacity to the existing 1,348.5 MLD capacity in 34 STPs, and take the city's treatment capacity to 1,818.5 MLD. The biggest of them all is coming at the Vrishabhavathi Valley, Mysuru Road, with a capacity of 150 MLD, followed by STPs at Hebbal and Horamavu of 60 MLD capacity each. Significantly, 14 of these new STPs with a combined capacity of 124 MLD are coming up in the 110 villages which are getting new water connections and Underground Drainage (UGD) lines. 'We are working towards completing these ongoing projects by December 2025. Many of the STPs in the 110 villages will be completed much before that as well,' said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB. 'Once these STPs are commissioned, our capacity to treat sewage will go up significantly. We are also investing in tertiary treatment of this water to ensure its use in the city for non-drinking purposes and filling lakes. This way we will conserve a lot of water,' he added. However, there is not enough demand for treated water from the existing STPs itself. Sources said the demand for treated water has fallen compared to the summer of 2024, when there was a severe water crisis. Gap in treatment capacity still remains The city currently has infrastructure to draw up to 2,220 MLD water from the Cauvery river, of which around 1,800 MLD is being drawn. This is expected to go up as more new connections are given under the Cauvery V Stage. In addition, the usage of groundwateris tough to quantify, which means thateven with these 26 new STPs (adding to a total treatment capacity of 1,818.5 MLD), there will still be a big gap in the city's treatment capacity. A survey taken up by the board after laying 1,538 km long UGD lines and building 14 STPs at a cost of ₹925 crore in 110 villages, shows that these areas still need over 400 km of UGD lines and 9 more STPs, which is estimated to cost around ₹850 crore. The board is expecting to take up these works under the World Bank's Karnataka Water Security and Resilience Programme, under which the international agency is giving a loan of ₹3,500 crore, and BWSSB is expected to get over ₹1,000 crore.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Clogged manhole in your area in Bengaluru? Here's how to file complaint
Bengaluru: Despite the city's civic agencies being allocated funds every year for roads and drainage, clogged manholes and overflowing sewage continue to plague several neighbourhoods, especially during monsoon. With the weather department forecasting heavy rainfall this year, the spotlight is once again on how citizens can seek redress when sewer lines choke and manholes the agency responsible for Bengaluru's underground drainage network, says complaints about such issues can now be filed in multiple ways. "Citizens can call the 24x7 central helpline (080 22238888) to report problems such as blocked pipes, overflowing manholes, or broken covers. Alternatively, they can submit a complaint through the Karnataka govt's Sakala platform, which forwards the issue to the assistant engineer of the service sub-division concerned on the same day," a senior BWSSB official those unable to access online services, complaints can still be registered at the nearest BWSSB service station or sub-division office. "In the past, many complaints were either delayed or untracked. That's why we launched the 'BWSSB MyComplaint' mobile app — to give people a transparent and user-friendly way to raise their concerns. From clogged manholes to water supply issues, everything can now be reported from one's phone," said Ram Prasath Manohar, BWSSB's app, currently available on Android, allows users to not only submit complaints but also track their status in real time. Complainants must enter basic details such as their name, phone number, locality, and the RR number from their water bill. The app also provides contact information of BWSSB officers and water supply schedules by area. According to officials, this initiative has helped reduce delays and improved response time significantly."We don't want people running from office to office or waiting endlessly on the phone. Whether it's a missing manhole cover or a blocked sewer line, our teams are now better equipped to respond quickly," Manohar added.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Amidst rising water tanker prices, BWSSB launches Sanchari Cauvery initiative
The much-awaited Sanchari Cauvery initiative, where the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will provide Cauvery water in tankers, was launched on Friday. Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who launched the Kaveri on Wheels app on Friday, said the it was brought to control the 'water tanker mafia'. 'This water tanker mafia has drilled over 3,000 borewells and have been fleecing people up to ₹3,000 per load of water. We have started this initiative to curb this. Bengaluru is the first city in the country to provide BIS certified drinking water from a river in tankers,' he said. BWSSB has roped in 250 water tankers and established 55 Cauvery Connect Centres, essentially large water tankers, mostly in the outer zones to run the initiative, said Ram Prasath Manohar, chairman, BWSSB. He also said the board has launched the dedicated app and a website for citizens to book water tankers. 'Customers can book water tankers, make the payment, and track the tankers on the app. Water will be delivered within 24 hours,' he said. Details of the tanker and the driver will also be shared, and a helpline will be available for grievance redressal, he added. The cost of a 12,000-litre tanker load of water supplied by BWSSB will be ₹1,290, within a 2-km radius and ₹70 a km thereafter. Residents of the outer zones still dependent on water tankers lament that it has been launched only as the summer is drawing to a close and the monsoon will set in less than three weeks. 'This is a great initiative, the decision for which was taken when the crisis was at its peak. But by the time it has been implemented, the summer is almost drawing to a close,' said Jagadish Reddy of Varthur Rising. However, BWSSB sources said that this would not be limited to the summer alone and will be a permanent programme. Meanwhile, the prices of water tankers in the city have crossed the ₹1,500 and ₹1,700 mark for a tanker load of 12,000 litres in areas where apartments are still to get water connections under Cauvery V Stage. A businessman who runs a fleet of water tankers in Mahadevapura zone, who did not wish to be named, said that with the Cauvery V Stage, the demand had indeed fallen in some pockets and that had hit the overall business of water tankers. 'We have a few pockets and apartments who still have contracts with us. Meanwhile, groundwater levels have been depleting, and diesel prices increased this summer sending the costs of extracting and transporting groundwater northwards. Given that we also have lost customers this summer, we are forced to jack up prices and recover our costs from the existing customer base,' he said. Sarala Cauvery EMI option for Cauvery connections Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) also launched Sarala Cauvery, an initiative where residents get an option to pay the charges to get a connection in 12 EMIs, on Friday. While apartment complexes can make a down payment of 20% of the total charges initially and pay the rest in 12 EMIs, connections for houses less than 600 sq. ft, mostly the urban poor, can get a new connection by paying just ₹1,000 and pay the rest in 12 EMIs. 'This initiative is designed to support the urban poor, middle-class families, and apartment communities,' Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said. ₹100 crore set aside for Cauvery Aarti at KRS Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D. K. Shivakumar said the Water Resources Department had set aside ₹100 crore to conduct Cauvery Aarti, on the lines of Ganga Aarti at Krishnaraja Sagar. 'We have formed a committee, including Departments of Kannada and Culture, Tourism and Muzrai Departments, and BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar who successfully conducted Cauvery Aarti at Sankey Tank in Bengaluru has been appointed its chairman,' he said. Sources said that the government was planning to make seating arrangements for 10,000 people at the venue and the event will likely be held during Dasara celebrations later this year. The programme has drawn criticism from multiple quarters, including Peoples' Union of Civil Liberties Karnataka, who have said the money should be instead used to clear the river of pollution. Meanwhile, Mr. Shivakumar brushed aside opposition to the ₹1,900 crore project to fill tanks in Nelamangala with treated water from the Vrishabhavathi Valley, for which he laid the foundation stone on Thursday. He said the project had been successful in Kolar and the water will further get purified when it steeps into the ground and recharge the groundwater level. He also said those opposing the project were not farmers. No tourists at dams Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the State government has not only tightened security at all dams in the State, but had also banned tourists visiting any dams. 'Only technical personnel will be allowed near dams till further orders. This is a matter of national security and people must cooperate,' he said.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Cauvery aarati will reflect traditions of all riparian States: Shivakumar
The Karnataka government is preparing to do the Cauvery aarti programme along with the Dasara this time, which will include programmes to represent cultures of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, announced Deputy Chief Minister and Major and Medium Irrigation Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Speaking in Bengaluru on Saturday, he said the modalities were being worked out. 'We have formed a committee under the leadership of BWSSB chief Ram Prasath Manohar. The Deputy Commissioner of Mandya will also be part of this committee. Various departments such as Muzrai, Kannada and Culture, Irrigation, and Tourism will be involved in various aspects of Cauvery aarti,' he said. Asked about the Finance Department's recommendation that it would be difficult to finance Cauvery aarti, he said, 'The final decision lies with the government, no matter what the recommendations are. The government is committed to starting the Cauvery aarti.' Responding to a query on whether Cauvery aarti venue would be close to the Krishnaraja Sagar, he said, 'This event will be held a little further away from the dam keeping in mind security considerations. The committee will take a final call on the location.' On whether the team which manages Ganga aarti in Varanasi would handle Cauvery aarti, he said, 'It would be handled by a team from the State itself.'
