BWSSB faces shortage of skilled labour

Minister S Suresh Kumar, who conducted a monthly review of the project at T K Halli, Tataguni and Harohalli here on Thursday, instructed contractors and engineers to speed up the work.

However, a top BWSSB officer said that at present there were around 4,200 workers and there was a need for at least 800 more to complete the project on time. These labourers were working on shifts, but there still is a shortage, the officer added.

Of the 172 kms, pipeline-laying work is complete on 112 kms. In the remaining 60 kms, 35 kms of pipelines have to be laid inside the City limits and rest 25 kms outside.

The total project cost of Rs 1,850 crore is being allotted in 11 packages to 18 contractors. The project will generate an additional 500-MLD of water for the City which will mainly be supplied to Bangalore North and East areas.

As per the original date of completion, the project was to be completed in March 2012. But with the minister’s intervention and the current water crisis in the City, there have been instructions to complete the project by December 2011 and to begin the trials in January 2012.