Mangaluru: The Jalasiri 24/7 Mangaluru water supply project is expected to be completed by March 2027, officials announced on Friday. The Rs 617.2 crore critical water supply infrastructure project is being implemented by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) and was awarded to a joint venture of Suez India Ltd and DRS Infra Tech Pvt Ltd.
Project Delays and Progress
The project began in 2019 and was originally slated for completion in May 2023. However, it faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, 76% of the works have been completed, including the water treatment plant in Adyar.
Water Demand Projections
Based on the estimated 2020 population of 5,71,249, including the Panambur industrial area, NMPT, MCF, and DKMU, the city's water demand stood at 160.3 MLD, inclusive of 20% losses. The project has been designed to meet demand for the next 30 years. Officials stated that by 2031, demand is projected to reach 213.1 MLD, and by 2046, it is expected to rise to 276.7 MLD.
Infrastructure Components
The entire city will be covered under three master balancing reservoirs (MBRs) located at Padil, Bendoor, and Panambur. Mangaluru has been divided into 54 zones for the project. So far, 85.8% of the clear water transmission mains (CWTM) work has been completed, while the distribution network has reached 74%. Work on overhead tanks (OHTs) stands at 88%, and ground-level service reservoirs (GLSRs) have achieved 95% progress. The installation of intermediate pumping stations (IPS) is 80% complete.
House Service Connections
In house service connections (HSC), 38,200 connections have been completed out of a total planned 95,000, achieving 40.2% progress. Officials noted that authorization has been granted for only 82,849 connections so far, against which the progress stands at 46.1%.
Water Treatment Plant
The project includes a 125 MLD dissolved air flotation and filtration (DAFF) technology-based water treatment plant at Adyar, which officials described as the first of its kind in India. It has reached 50% completion, while road restoration works are almost complete at 99%.
Zonal Progress
In Panambur, almost all works are completed, with only 4 km pending. In Bendoor, 50% of works are completed, and in Padil, more than 80% of works are finished. On Friday, officials took a media team to the GLSR cum OHT project site in Kodikal.
