Water on tap

Providing access to adequate drinking water is high on the Nation's agenda. This needs efforts to tap water from various sources, treat, tra...

Written by V Suresh

March 9, 1998 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

Providing access to adequate drinking water is high on the Nation8217;s agenda. This needs efforts to tap water from various sources, treat, transmit and distribute to users. Technology will play a key role, keeping in view the dwindling sources of water through surface, ground water and the need for upgradation in technology to deal with raw water sources of differing quality with both chemical and biological contaminations.

A paradigm shift is needed in urban infrastrcuture for private sector participation. This can be through service contract and management contracts for private sector association for performing specific tasks like installation, repairing pipes, meter reading , collection of accounts and maintenance of certain segments of water treatment or distribution system.

The Chennai Metro Water has enlisted private participation for the management of 70 sewage pumping stations including operation and maintenance of 300 mld water treatment plant at Red Hills. Leasing is the third option wherethe commercial risk is also passed on. However, the first major step for private participation is through the concession agreements where the private partner not only deals with the operation and maintenance but also brings in investment. Concession can be of longer periods and the bidder with the lowest tariff wins the concession. More important is the BOOT or BOT Projects with direct private involvement and investment and the contract between the public agency and the BOT operator is usually on a take or pay basis.

Substantial spade work has been done over the last five years for different shades of privatisation in water supply systems. The Tirupur water supply initiative through joint collaborative programme of New Tirupur Area Development Corporation and ILamp;FS is very likely to see light at the end of the tunnel. The Bechtel and the Mahindra Group are jointly associated in the initiative. For bringing in 500 mld capacity water supply scheme to Bangalore City under BOOT arrangement, one of the privatesector inputs from among the Hume Group with international tie up with Joh Holland and Mott MacDonald, Mahindra-Bechtel Group, Biwater International Group, Bovis Group, GVK Group Kvaerner John Brown with Trafalgar House, the Thames Water International Group and the Larsen and Toubro is being utilised. The success of the same is being eagerly awaited. Equally important is the recent Pune Water Supply Scheme for which 8220;Request for Proposal8221; is sought from many collaborative groups with Indian Entrepreneurs and International British, French, Danish, German and Korean water Companies like the tie up of Anglian Water and Trafalgar House and Shirkes, the Binnie Black and Veatch with Thames Water and Lamp;T, the Krugger with Generale Des eaux and Skanska International or the Preussag with Tata Project or the Hyundai with Sundaram Chemicals, the Hanjim with Krupp amp; Zoom Development Group.

The tool kit8217; for privatisation in water supply would need increasing dissemination and publicity. The countdown startingfrom the expression of intent by a public entity upto awarding the work and financial bid closure are stages in which our city managers of various Municipal Corporations and Para-statals for Water Utilities would have to necessarily get fully exposed to. This is a challenge and opportunity to capture all the elements of bringing in appropriate technologies, efficient installation of systems creating public-private partnerships. At the end of the day or tap, citizens get the water they desire.

The author is CMD of HUDCO and the views are personal.

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