Water connection charges for houses of less than 500 sq.ft have been reduced to Rs. 100, according to M.K. Stalin, Local Administration and Rural Development Minister. This was being done to enable people belonging to economically weaker sections of society to get the water connection easily, he said, wrapping up the debate in the Assembly on the demand for grants to his departments.

The work on the 100-million-litre-a-day (MLD) seawater desalination plant at Minjur, on the northern outskirts of Chennai, is progressing expeditiously, Local Administration Minister M. K. Stalin informed the Assembly on Tuesday. Initiating the debate on the demand for grants to his department, he said the work would be completed this year. ILF-Mantech, an independent consultant, was appointed to monitor the work. As per its bulk water purchase agreement with Chennai Metrowater, Chennai Water Desalination Limited should deliver 15 MLD next month and 100 MLD in August.

The scarcity of reliable perennial water sources, including groundwater, is posing serious challenges to the provision of municipal water to the rapidly growing rural communities and small towns in Barani areas. While new crops should be required new marketing channels and offer new value-added activities for farm communities, but assistance is needed to fully exploit these opportunities.

In 1998, Karnataka agreed to abide by the conditions imposed by the Union Water Resources Ministry if Tamil Nadu withdrew its objections to Cauvery water being used to augment supply to Bangalore, according to the minutes of a meeting convened by the Union Secretary (Water Resources) and attended by officers of the Cauvery basin States on drinking water supply schemes of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on June 29, 1998.

The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board is carrying out in full swing the project of augmenting the water supply to Valparai in Coimbatore district and 10 other areas, Local Administration and

City residents face acute water crisis Power outage, low voltage disrupt WASA supply Abdul Kader People in different areas of the Dhaka city are suffering from acute crisis of water due to frequent load-shedding and low voltage coupled with sharp fall in underground water level. The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority cannot ensure smooth supply of water as its generators are not functioning properly because of frequent load-shedding and low voltage, a WASA official said.

Seven prisoners lodged in the Tihar Jail here died of dehydration last year. This year, barely at the start of summer, a severe water shortage has hit the prison again.

Water is classified as one of the most basic human needs. Although it covers 2/3 of the earth's surface giving the allusion that it is an infinite resource we are about to be proved wrong as the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) claims that they are unable to supply water 24 hours to urban areas due to the rapidly rising demand."We are already suffering from a water shortage this year as it is difficult to accommodate the growing demand. NWSDB General Manager K.L.L Premanath said.

IF THE Victorian Government is the main tenant in La La Land, then the Productivity Commission's latest report, Towards Urban Water Reform: A Discussion Paper must be the rent book. Its drift is plain. There is no problem with water supply that a competitive market couldn't fix. "Ultimately, it is possible to envisage an evolution to a fully decentralised urban water market involving many retailers and wholesalers offering different forms of product (for example price and security). However, an important caveat is that such arrangements do not operate elsewhere in the world."