24x7 water supply: A hitch in Hubballi-Dharwad project

Hubballi: Sanctioned over a decade ago, the ambitious World Bank-assisted project to expand the facility of round-the-clock water supply from
the Malaprabha to all 82 wards in Hubballi-Dharwad has run into rough waters.

After the project implementation started, progress has been limited to 40%. A large portion of distribution pipelines have yet to be laid.

The project implementation is scheduled to be completed by June 2025, however, this goal is unlikely to be met.

Though the schedule for 46 wards in Hubballi and Dharwad is once in three to seven days, a few areas get water once in eight, nine or even 10 days.

At present, 11 wards have a 24x7 water supply, while 25 wards have a daily supply.

Malaprabha reservoir in Savadatti of Belagavi district, from where water is sourced for the project, has 8 tmc feet of water at present. The twin cities need 2.17 tmc feet of water per year.

For the requirement of 245 mld, 220 mld is being drawn from Malaprabha dam, while 25 mld is coming from Neersagar in Kalghatgi taluk at present, according to officials of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), which is monitoring the project.

Change of hands

The project, supposed to be completed by 2021, has since changed hands after the previous contractor left the project due to escalating costs. The World Bank renewed the loan and a new tender was called for. A Rs 1,206.97-crore contract to modernise the water supply system was awarded to Chennai-based L&T Limited.

“Works have been expedited, and efforts are being made to complete the project by June 2025. Daily water supply will be possible after the clear water trunk mains from Amminabhavi to Rayapur is laid in September,” says Hubballi Dharwad Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Ishwar Ullagaddi.

Alternate sources

Several lakes in and around Hubballi and Dharwad have the potential to serve as water sources. Senior corporator Rajanna Koravi has been advocating the revival of Unkal Lake so that it can become an alternative source of drinking water. “Sewage water should be diverted to stop contamination,” he says.