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Desalination plant: Team to visit Chennai soon

MCC receives missive from state govt; O&M cost to be five times more
Last Updated 27 April 2017, 18:55 IST

The desalination plant, proposed to be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 871 crore, has inched forward with an eight member-team of elected representatives and officials from the state set to visit Chennai soon.

It is aimed to process salt water in the coast to make it potable, to augment drinking water supply in the city.

Chief Whip of the government in Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza told media persons on Thursday: “The team includes mayor and two corporators, three officials and one each of the officer from Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC).

Ivan said a missive from state government has been received in this regard on April 7, with the team expected to visit Chennai, to study the existing desalination plant in the coastal city of neighbouring Tamil Nadu state. However, the schedule and team members that includes corporators and officials from MCC are yet to be finalised, he added.

Ivan said the corporation will study the pros and cons of desalination plant, as Mangaluru city is facing water crisis for a brief period close to summer, with abundant water available rest of the year.

There is no dearth of funds towards ensuring water, with the government releasing Rs 112 lakh towards repair and deepening of borewells in the city, with a total of 128 borewells supplying potable water. On the other hand, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has started works on building 1,000 check dams, Ivan added.

MCC superintending engineer Srinivas H N said, in the case of desalination plant, the operation and maintenance cost will be five times more with average of Rs 40 to Rs 45 required per 1,000 litres of water against Rs 8 per supply of 1,000 litres of water in the existing scenario according to a rough estimate. The O&M cost includes labour and electricity charges, he added.
 

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(Published 27 April 2017, 18:55 IST)

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