Rs. 50-crore project to be submitted to Government for approval: MP Pratap Simha

Mysore/Mysuru: To streamline the city’s water distribution network and wastewater facilities, the Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW), the water supply wing of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), has planned to improvise the existing SCADA system that was implemented in 2008. A Rs. 50 crore project will be submitted to the Government for approval. 

This system, called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), will monitor all data from the MCC water supply facilities and from all wastewater treatment facilities. These include water treatment plants, pumping stations, reservoirs and a water supply network that brings water from Krishna Raja Sagar Reservoir and Kabini Dam.

Explaining the project through video display to reporters at Jaladarshini Guest House yesterday, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha said, “I am optimistic that the system will be installed within two years. It will be inaugurated with the ongoing projects in Melapura and Hongalli.” Executive Engineer of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board Prasanna Murthy was present with the MP. 

Improving operating efficiency

Explaining the salient features of SCADA, Simha said that the system which has been with VVWW way back in 2008 to monitor drinking water distribution has limited features with only one monitor display. “The proposed system will enable engineers and officials to monitor the working of five Master Boot Record (MBR) zones across the city. The collected data will help the monitoring centre to optimise the supply of water and improve operating efficiency of its facilities while the centre is integrated with the billing system,” he said. 

The existing SCADA system was outdated and increasingly difficult to maintain. The improvised system is personalised to provide complete control access from various locations within the treatment plant, expand data storage capacity, develop data protection and backup, boost alarms and security, improve functionality and provides information about redundancies, he explained.

Two-metre video wall 

A two-metre video wall will  provide live images of functioning of pump houses at Belagola, Hongalli, Melapura and Jayapura. Important details such as flow of raw water into pumping stations, extent of raw water, flow of water into water tanks and subsequent release from tanks to the main pipeline, water leakage in pipeline, water theft, breaking of the main pipeline by miscreants to draw water illegally and wrong operation of valve by personnel are seen on the big screen. This will not only ensure equal distribution of water but will also help supply quality water, Pratap Simha said.

This system has been implemented by Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and was working efficiently, the MP added. 

Earlier in the day, the MP visited Melapura drinking water pumping unit to inspect the ongoing drinking water works. The Rs. 156-crore project has been taken up under the funds that have been released by the Centre under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. 

Pratap Simha was informed by officials that the residents of Narasimharaja Constituency and parts of Krishnaraja Constituency would get sufficient water before Dasara. The areas will be fed from 60 lakh litre capacity water at Rammanahalli water tank that is connected to Melapura pump house. 

Presently, 68 MLD (million litres of water daily) was available and an additional 18 MLD has been added. Work is on to install another pump which will ensure another 18 MLD of water. With all these, the city is likely to get over 100 MLD of water. Officials promised to complete the work before Dasara.

VVWW Assistant Executive Engineer Asif and other officials accompanied the MP during his inspection.