JOIN USThe works on an ambitious drinking water project — Kundamestri — which is aimed at supplying water to the city is being inordinately delayed.
The project was started at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore. Now, the estimated cost has escalated to Rs 35 crore.
Karnataka Urban Water Supply Board (KUWSB) officials said there was a shortage of funds for the constructing a barrage. The project cost should be increased to Rs 48 crore.
CMC president H M Nanda Kumar, who is opposing the proposal to hike the estimated cost of the project said: “The project cost will not be hiked at any cost. The officials should complete the work within the existing framework.”
Nanda Kumar said: “If the work is delayed, we will incur loss. We had laid down a condition, to complete the works within 18 months. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on January 10, 2009. Now, even after 48 months, the works are progressing at snail’s pace due to the negligence of KUWSB officials.”
“Due to delay in execution of the project, the CMC has to depend on tankers to supply water to the city. The CMC is planning to issue notices to the KUWSB to bear the expenses incurred by the CMC in supplying water through tankers. We will take a legal opinion on the issue,” he said.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, the CMC president said if the officials cooperate, water can be supplied to the city from Kundamestri project in April. “About 90 per cent of the works on laying pipelines have been completed. It will take time to construct a barrage.
Instead of a barrage, if the officials construct a temporary dam using sand, water can be stored and supplied to the city from April,” he explained.