Work force affects water force

BANGALORE: As some of the contractors who have undertaken various works in Cauvery IV Stage II Phase Drinking water project, which is the only available source of additional drinking water supply to the city, are not meeting the deadlines due to scarcity of skilled labour, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has decided to approach various associations to source skilled labourers for the project, though it is not bound to do so.The BWSSB Chairman PB Ramamurthy said, “Though we are not under any obligation to help the contractors get skilled labourers and the contractors have the responsibility to complete the works before the fixed deadline, we are concerned about the delay in meeting the deadlines as there will be acute water scarcity in the city if the project is not completed before the next summer.” According to Ramamurthy, the BWSSB minister has personally convened a meeting of the representatives from the contractors, association, builders and other associations that employ skilled laborers in the city to ask them to source some of the skilled labourers for the project and to ensure that the project is completed at least before March 2012.The meeting is scheduled to happen on August 23 evening. It may be recalled that the BWSSB had earlier announced that the project would be completed by December 2011.According to the information obtained from the engineers at the work site, though the project needs at least 4,000 skilled labourers, the contractors could manage to engage around 3,000 of them only.Therefore, the works related to installation of pumps with a pumping capacity of 500 MLD and construction of tanks at Torekadanahalli, Harohalli and Tatagunni pumping stations that are allotted to Kirloskar and SPML at the cost of Rs 36 crore, works related to the construction of water treatment plant at. Torekadanhalli allotted to Degromant and works related to the construction of GLRs at different places in the city allotted to IVRCL are getting delayed.The project cannot be implemented unless these works are completed. However, the works related to laying of mega pipelines from Torekadanahalli to the city are being completed in accordance to the fixed deadlines.