The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved the draft plan for the DN Nagar-Mankhurd corridor (Phase 2B) of the Mumbai Metro Phase I, Line 2 project (Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra- Mankhurd). According to the draft plan, the project will cover a total length of 23.6 km, connecting DN Nagar to Mandale near Mankhurd. The corridor will have 22 stations and is expected to cater to about 1.05 million commuters by 2031. The total cost of the corridor is estimated at Rs 109.7 billion, of which, MMRDA will provide Rs 37.7 billion towards the entire civil construction work, while the remaining amount will be provided by the Asian Development Bank. MMRDA’s share will be financed with the help of its internal accruals, premium on additional floor space index, stamp duty surcharge, etc. The corridor is likely to be completed by end-2019.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has invited bids for independent safety assessment services for train control and signalling systems for the Noida-Greater Noida metro rail project. The last date for bid submission is June 20, 2016. The project involves the development of a 28.2 km metro system to connect Noida and Greater Noida at an investment of Rs 55.26 billion. The line will run from Noida Sector 71 to Bodaki in Greater Noida. The Karnataka government has issued an order restricting the utilisation of fresh water from the Netravathi river (between the Thumbe dam and AMR Power Private Limited’s vented dam) in Mangalore for non-drinking purposes. The order has come into effect from May 1, 2016. It will apply to Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, the Mangalore special economic zone and other industries in the area.
The Darjeeling Municipality in West Bengal is planning to upgrade the town’s water supply system under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Estimated to entail an investment of Rs 2.05 billion, the project will be implemented in three phases. The bidding process for the project has been initiated and the centre has already sanctioned the first instalment of the project cost. Though the project was conceptualised in 2012 (at a cost of Rs 1.62 billion), it failed to take off due to financial constraints. Its scope involves re-laying of the entire water distribution pipeline network and construction of water tanks in 32 wards of the town. Besides, the project involves the installation of water meters to minimise the proportion of non-revenue water in the total supply.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in Karnataka has approved the technical report of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme Stage V. The report will now be sent to the state government for approval. The scheme is expected to be implemented with financial assistance from JICA and involves treating about 775 million litres per day (mld) of raw water from the Cauvery river at a water treatment plant in Thorekadanahalli. Besides, the project also involves laying of 2,817 km of drinking water pipelines over an area of 225 square km. BWSSB has estimated that the project will benefit a population of 4.3 million by 2049.
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in Gujarat is planning to construct a 78 mld sewage treatment plant (STP) in the city, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.04 billion. At present, there are seven STPs in the city which have a combined capacity of 276 mld. However, with the inclusion of additional areas under VMC’s jurisdiction, the installed treatment capacity has become inadequate. The new plant will assist the authorities in ensuring 100 per cent treatment of sewage. Moreover, plans are afoot for supplying the treated sewage to a wildlife park.
The city council of the Belagavi City Corporation in Karnataka has approved a Rs 1.9 billion sewerage project in the city. The project is proposed to be undertaken under AMRUT. Of the total funds, Rs 1.57 billion has been earmarked for improving the sewerage system and Rs 330 million for its O&M for a period of five years.
The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra has commissioned the Rankala lake water purification plant. The plant, which has the capacity to treat 1 million litres of water per hour, was set up at a cost of Rs 250 million. It uses the hydrodynamic cavitation technology to treat raw water, which involves the formation of cavities or bubbles in the water which are subjected to high vapour pressure to break down complex pollutants and organic molecules.