Oxygen shortage slows down major pipeline project

BENGALURU: The massive project of laying a main water pipeline from Torekadanahalli (TK Halli) to the peripheral areas of the city, is going through a sluggish pace for over six weeks now. Shortage of labour and non-availability of industrial oxygen due to the ongoing pandemic, have ensured that the different segments of the Cauvery Vth Stage project cannot proceed as scheduled. 

The Rs 5,500-crore project, funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency, has a March 2023 deadline. It aims at supplying regular water to 110 villages spread across Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Dasarahalli. 

BWSSB Chairman N Jayaram told TNIE, “We are presently supplying 51 villages water. This is done once a week and twice a week in a few villages. We are targeting alternate day water supply to all of them by March 2023 and will meet the deadline.” The city will get another 775 million litres of water per day when the project is completed. 

Asked if the Covid-induced problems would affect deadline, Jayaram said that the BWSSB has presently exceeded the target set for infrastructure works for this project. “We have completed 23% above the target fixed by JAICA. Hence, the slow pace of work in the last 45 days can be adjusted and compensated. We hope to speed up the work pace in the next one and a half months too. The water board is confident of completing the project before the deadline,” he added. 

Asked about the jobs affected, the chairman said that bending of steel used in laying the pipelines compulsorily requires oxygen and so does all forms of welding jobs. “The stoppage of supply of industrial oxygen has impacted these works. There is a labour crunch too,” he added.