Plugging leaks: Success spurs BWSSB to cover more areas

Bengaluru: Months after the launch of unaccounted flow of water (UFW) project, the BWSSB has ventured out to extend the project to three other divisions in the city.

Board officials said the project, in its preliminary stages, is being sent for approvals of various departments. The project, which aims to plug water leaks, will be taken up in North, East and North East divisions in its next phase.

Of the total 1,400 MLD of water pumped into the city, nearly 48 per cent goes unaccounted for. To reduce the wastage, the BWSSB initiated the project in South, West, Central and other zones. Now, it will extend the project in three new zones at a cost of Rs 700 crore.

A BWSSB official said, “The detailed project report has been prepared and forwarded to the finance department for approval. The project will be jointly funded by the government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It will be launched in another six months.”

The BWSSB has maintained that it aims to bring down the wastage to 16 per cent from 48 per cent. The project will be taken up only in the core areas spread around 340 sqkm. With the launch of the project, around 3.5 lakh household connections are expected to benefit.

Explaining that measures followed in the ongoing UFW works will be adopted for other divisions, the official said that the project will be completed in three years. He said that replacing pipelines and old meters may be a challenge in some areas in these divisions.

“There are pipelines that are more than 80 years old in these divisions. Replacement of such pipelines could pose problems. Taking up works in encroached areas is another challenge,” he said.