Centre's nod sought for foreign aid to Bengaluru water project

A delegation led by Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda met Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu here on Monday and requested him to give early approval to the State government’s proposal to seek foreign aid to take up a project to supply drinking water to 110 villages in Bengaluru.

Explaining the urgency of the project, Gowda said that the project would help provide drinking water to 110 villages that were brought under the BBMP limits in 2007.

At the meeting, attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, Naidu promised to study the project.

Earlier, the State government had submitted the proposal to the union ministries of urban development and finance, seeking their approval for availing Rs 5,500 crore from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

According to the plan, BWSSB will implement the project to supply Cauvery water to newly added villages in six zones - Byatarayanapura, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Dasarahalli - spread across 245 sq km in BBMP limits.

The project involves laying of 10,000 km of drinking water and underground drainage lines and construction of 10 ground-level reservoirs, BWSSB chairperson Anjum Parvez told Deccan Herald after the meeting. The delegation also comprised MPs and MLAs from Bengaluru city.

The total requirement for 110 villages is estimated to be 270 million litres of water per day (mld) and the government has already allocated 10 tmc feet of water from Cauvery, Bengaluru city in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who is part of the delegation, said.

The delegation sought the Centre’s help to take up rejuvenation of lakes in Bengaluru and Naidu promised them that he would discuss the issue with Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.