However, PPP model for effective utilisation of rivers, lakes will be encouraged

The government today said there was no proposal for privatisation of water resources, but would encourage public-private partnership (PPP) mode for effective utilisation of the scarce natural resource. "Privatisation is not being done and it cannot be done," Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour and added that a river cannot be given to a private party.

The city is lending a helping hand to Hubli-Dharwad, the second-largest urban spread in Karnataka after Bangalore. The Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University has shown the way to the aggregation, which is suffering because of overloaded public transport service, by designing a BRTS for the twin city.

A Rs 450-crore project has been proposed, including Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) between Hubli and Dharwad. Cept University has been roped in as a consultant for the project which covers a stretch of 22.2 km.

NGOs, villagers set up purification plant to provide clean water at 10paise/litre

Residents of Kadapathi Halliyal village in the taluk are a fortunate lot. They get purified drinking water at just 10 paise per litre, a study in contrast to people of other villages who cannot afford this luxury.The initiative of the K H Patil Foundation and Rural Medical Service Society (RMSS), in association with the Kadapathi Halliyal Gram Panchayat and the villagers - which have installed the ‘Shuddha Neeru’ water purification plant - has paid off.

Announcement comes at concluding session of ITS seminar

The Union Urban Development Ministry will fund 80 per cent of the cost of preparing master plan/ detailed project report for intelligent transport system (ITS) in important cities across the country, including those in Karnataka.

‘Outsourcing supply will see tariffs skyrocketing’

Day Two of the Bangalore World Water Summit saw a parallel summit being organised by Peoples Campaign for Right to Water, which sees a move to privatise water supply in the agenda of such meets.

Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa announced that the State government had agreed to provide land for the construction of three new lines, for which the survey has been completed.

Speaking to mediapersons after flagging of the augmented services of Bangalore-Hubli Janshatabdi Express at the Yeshwantpur railway station here on Tuesday, he said, “A few important decisions have been taken in the meeting held on October 20, by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and other senior officials of State Government and the Railways.”

A public body-monitored PPP project is the best bet for mismanaged urban water utilities
PRASHANT GOYAL

Urban water projects under public-private partnerships (PPP) evoke strong sentiments that hinge on scepticism and fear of privatisation. How far is this apprehension justified? The three key stakeholders for a water utility are consumers, employees and government.

Dust levels have gone up in mixed urban pockets
Bangalore: Residential and commercial areas are more polluted than industrial areas in the City, which has the highest levels of both air and noise pollution.

According to a study by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), dust levels with chemical and toxic emissions have gone up in mixed urban areas (which have both commercial and

Stanford Engineer

Hubli: The Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) management to take up the issue of the new Hubli-Ankola railway line with the Union Government as it would benefit both.

Members of KCCI told NMPT officials at the