The State government is likely to clear a proposal to supply an additional 7.5 tmcft of water to the city from the Cauvery River, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairman M S Ravishankar said on Tuesday.
He was speaking during celebrations of the first India-German Water Partnership Day here. Ravishankar said at least 10 tmcft of water would be required for the newly-added areas of the city. “We are contemplating installation of treatment plants near lakes and valleys as the treated water can be reused,” he said.
Ravishankar also spoke at a conference, held as part of the Partnership Day celebrations. He noted that the conference examined cost-effective solutions like sewage treatment plants to address Bangalore’s civic problems. However, he stressed that companies, which offered such solutions, should participate in government tenders and offer their technologies.
Michael Kuhn, head-India operations, German Water Partnership, observed there was a lot of demand for water-related technologies in India as it was among the fastest developing countries in the world. “Germany too faced a similar situation in the past and now we are sharing technologies, which we evolved, to other countries,” he said.
Kuhn said nearly 50 per cent of water, including potable water, supplied by BWSSB goes waste due to leakages and other problems. “Most of the fresh water is being used for irrigation and other purposes while people go thirsty in the city. Only 25 per cent of the sewage generated in the city gets treated. We should focus on sustainable water management,” he added.
According to Kuhn, nearly 350 companies and 20,000 employees have come together through the Indian German Water Partnership with the aim of addressing most water problems in the country.