The Hindu - Andhra Pradesh 18.08.2009

Delay in zone reorganisation likely to affect water supply

G.V.R. Subba Rao

PHOTO: RAJU. V

Caught in red tape: An elevated level service reservoir under construction at Gangiredduladibba in Vijayawada. —

VIJAYAWADA: A 10-MGD water treatment plant that is under construction at Gunadala is likely to be completed by March next, with treated water getting ready for supply to areas that have not been served until now. But, delay in reorganisation of water zones, which has been pending for long and whose aim is to reduce pressure on the K.L. Rao Head Water Works, may play spoilsport in the end. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is apparently making no efforts in hastening this reorganisation.

This would mean that the Corporation may not be able to use the entire 10 MGD as per the original plan, which envisages supply of drinking water to extended areas up to Ramavarappadu ring.

It would at the most be able to “immediately use” only 1 MGD of water for catering to areas like Gunadala, Arul Nagar and Machavaram down. The other extended areas like Caramel Nagar, LIC Colony and so on would not get treated water immediately.

The new treatment plant has been conceived to serve a population of about three lakh in extended areas, but because of the delay in reorganisation of zones only a small pocket of Gunadala area would benefit, official sources indicate.

The reorganisation of water supply zones, when completed, would pave the way for supply of treated water from the new plant to the reservoirs that have been receiving water from the K.L. Rao Head Water works. And, for this new lines would have to be laid. Any delay in the laying of new lines would result in delay in supply of water to end user, sources say.

The Corporation has planned to take up reorganisation of zones under JNNURM programme to implement round-the-clock water supply scheme.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) pertaining to this is stated to be pending with the Central government, which reportedly sought some clarifications.

But the Corporation is learnt to have not responded to these queries. The issue came to light during a recent review undertaken by Municipal Commissioner P. S. Pradyumna, sources say.

The Corporation would now have to either wait till the DPR is cleared by the Centre, or take up the works on its own for utilisation of the total capacity of the plant. The VMC “cannot” invite tenders under JNNURM unless the ‘reorganisation’ project is sanctioned by the Centre, officials point out.

The water purification and treatment industry in India, under siege from cheap imports of water treatment products from China, is working to set standards for the water treatment industry in the country as a safeguard against 'spurious' products. This, is being done through a certification process. Hence, for the first time the industry has put its head together to come up with a solution.

With a membership of about 31 firms, the industry is estimated to be worth Rs 1,300 crore to Rs 1,400 crore for the domestic sector and Rs 8,000-10,000 crore in the industrial sector. The industry is trying to build a consensus on the standards for water treatment products under an umbrella body — WQA India.

WQA or Water Quality Assurance is a not-for-profit international trade association representing residential, commercial, industrial and small community water treatment industry. WQA works with organisations representing different aspects of water industry worldwide. It has over 2,400 members from 80 countries around the world.

Water has many more challenges here in India than in the West or in countries like Singapore. The standards are directly proportional to the cost of water purification. Till now, the water purification industry in India concentrated on bacterial contamination. But, what about the viruses and other parasites that water may harbour?

Hence, there has been a long-felt need for standards to ensure all purifiers meet all standards. Now there is growing awareness for the need to fine-tune biological contaminants.

“But, affordability is a factor. We need to build consensus on the minimum standards for purification," noted an industry player. The members are presently looking to form an Indian arm of WQA in India, which will be an independent not for profit organisation which will establish standards and generally fund technologies for water purification. This is expected to cut the cost of developing technologies.

The industry has to work towards a quality which is best for India, he added. The industry has been working towards this for about a year.

According to K Chandrasekhar, manager, India Operations, WQA, “We need to evaluate the Indian conditions and come up with standards.”