Now, good news from Cauvery

More water to flow into City households next week

The City is all set to receive Cauvery water supply from new pipelines under the IV stage II phase scheme by next week.

The trial run for the scheme was conducted by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) from Tataguni to Jambusavari Dinne on Wednesday.

Cauvery water is expected to reach the reservoir by Thursday, from where it will be distributed to different reservoirs located in Bangalore West and East areas. From the City reservoirs, water will further be distributed to different households.

According to a BWSSB official, the Board will play down commissioning of the water supply to the City, owing to the ongoing agitations by the farmers in Mandya district.

The official said the farmers had attempted to switch off the pumping motors at Torekadanahalli (TK Halli) on Tuesday, while expressing their angst against Bangaloreans, who have the luxury of consuming Cauvery water, but are not taking part in the protest.

The official said the pumping motors were switched off for nearly 30 minutes, which affected water supply in Bangalore East and West areas. By switching off the motors, there would be a backflow of water, which would flow towards Tamil Nadu. It was only after the farmers were convinced that backflow of Cauvery water would flow towards Tamil Nadu, the pumping motors were allowed to resume.

The Cauvery IV stage, II phase scheme is expected to supply an additional 500 million litres of water a day (mld) to the City. The partial commissioning of 300 mld is expected by the middle of October, and full commissioning after November 2012.

The drawing of water will increase from 12 tmc (thousand million cubic) ft to about 16 tmc ft or 500 cusecs per day. BWSSB will be drawing the balance 3 tmc ft to supply an additional 200 mld after December 2012 and the total drawing of water from all the stages put together, will be 600 cusecs per day.