From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 11: Quick on the heels of announcing a mega plan for constructing 2 lac houses and distributing 2 lac sites for the poor by April 2011, Karnataka’s Information, IT/BT and BWSSB Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu has come out with plans for implementing a Rs 1,300 crore storm water drainage and sewerage project in Bangalore.

The ambitious project will be implemented in the 10 Legislative Assembly constituencies come under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, the minister said.

Addressing a news conference, the minister said the government proposed to borrow Rs 605 crore from the World Bank under the Karnataka Municipal Reforms Project and avail another Rs 383 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for execution of the project while the balance amount would be incurred by the government.

The project aimed at construction of the sewerage system in erstwhile eight urban local bodies that were merged into the BBMP in 2007.

Naidu,  who chaired a high level meeting of officials and City Legislators to discuss the project, said work on the project was started in 2009 and it would be completed in 2012 March.

Though the project was sanctioned in 2006, work was taken up due to various reasons. There was delay in the commencement of the project on account of the poor response from contractors to take up the project and delay on the part of the officials to approach the World Bank.

Of the 25 packages, work has been commenced in 17 packages. Tenders would be finalised in rest of the eight packages soon and the project would be inaugurated by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa next month, Naidu said.

Sewerage lines of 2007 km length and trunk lines of 305 km would be laid and drainage water would not be allowed into storm water drains.

About 4 crore sqft of land would be required to take up the project. The BBMP, BDA and BWSSB would work in tandem for acquisition of lands.

Houses and complex would be demolished and losers would be given housing site or cash compensation by the BDA, he said.

BWSSB Chairman P B Ramamurthy said BWSSB has proposed to take up a Rs 2,300 crore project for supplying drinking water and laying sewerage lines in 110 villages that were added to the BBMP about three years ago.

A detailed project report has been prepared and submitted to the Finance Department. The Cabinet has to approve the mode of funding and sources of funding, he said.