BENGALURU: An agreement for the first tranche of Rs 5,550-crore loan agreement between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Centre for the Cauvery Water Supply Project Stage V scheme was inked in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The deal was inked for Rs 2,587.06 crore. The full project is set to be commissioned in 2022.
Chief Representative of JICA India, Takema Sakamoto and Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, S Selva Kumar, inked the deal in the presence of Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu.
BWSSB Chairperson Tushar Girinath, engineer-in-chief Kemparamaiah and chief engineer P N Ravindra were present.
The scheme aims at supplying 775 million litres of potable water per day from Cauvery to Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore, an official BWSSB release stated. It will also provide trunk sewerage network and sewage treatment facilities for 225 sqkm in 110 villages falling under the BBMP jurisdiction.
Sakamoto said, “JICA has been supporting BWSSB for two decades for better water supply and sewerage treatment. This project will continue to provide safe and reliable water supply to BBMP areas, especially in newly developed area of 110 villages by constructing 1 water treatment plant, 14 sewage treatment plants in five areas and their related facilities.”
Kemparamaiah said the project will be launched this year with preparatory works like designs and drawings and fixing of consultancy. “The work will begin in 2019 and will be commissioned in 2022.”
Intersection queues to be reduced by 30 percent
JICA announced an agreement with the government of India in which it would provide a grant aid of around D70 crore for the implementation of an advanced traffic information system for Bengaluru city. This will include components such as traffic signal control systems at 29 intersections with a traffic control centre, which could improve the travel speed by 13 per cent and reduce the vehicle queue at junctions by 30 per cent. On Wednesday, Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India, and S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, signed the agreement in
New Delhi. He explained that the project was a pilot in a way as it would only cover a part of the city.