KMC to install water meters in 5 wards in S Kolkata

Kolkata: To reduce misuse of water, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will install water meters in five wards of South Kolkata. The water meters will be installed in wards 101, 102, 107, 108 and 110. Water meters have already been installed in wards 1 to 6 in North Kolkata.

"We have already started survey work in these wards which includes study of the water supply network, the population, topography and also the average floating population. All these factors need to be taken into account to make an assessment of how many such meters will be needed for installation," said an official in the Water Supply department of KMC.

The official said the meters would not only be placed in households.

Block meters will be installed at strategic locations along the pipeline.

The total water supply pipeline in Kolkata covers an area of 8,000 km.

In North Kolkata, KMC needs to have 18000 water meters, out of which 10000 have already been installed.

In big cities like Kolkata the daily water wastage is 15 per cent of the total supply.

"We will find out whether the wastage here is more. We will also find out how and why the water is being wasted. If it is found to occur due to distribution problems, pipeline leakage or other technical reasons, then measures will be taken to rectify the same.

"If it is found that the wastage is because of misuse on the part of citizens, then steps will be taken to make them aware of the importance of water conservation," the official maintained. As per estimates of KMC, the citizens of Kolkata are expected to use water to the tune of 150 litres per capita in a day. The study will also find out whether more water is being used or not.

KMC will come up with two capsule booster pumping stations of 0.3 million gallon (mgd) capacity at ward 125 in Paschim Barisha, Behala and ward 92 in Babubagan (Dhakuria). A big booster pumping station of 1.8 mgd capacity will be set up at Ajoynagar near Baghajatin flyover at an estimated cost of Rs 13 crore. All these water supply projects were approved at the meeting of KMC Board of Administrators on Monday.