More homes to get water meters

KOLKATA: Water meters installed at Cossipore homes as a pilot project has saved 1 million litres water in a year. Enthused by the result, KMC now plans to install such meters in other parts of north Kolkata as well as localities off EM Bypass.
The installation of water meters is a part of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)- funded Kolkata Environment Improvement Project (KEIP) and aims at reducing water wastage.Cossipore was selected for the pilot project as it figured in the red zone — representing high wastage — for potable water. The area’s proximity to the Tallah water reservoir was also a reason for the choice since water is in abundant supply in this part of the city. “Easy availability of water led to huge wastage. We wanted to know how much water was flowing down the drain. We had installed water meters in over 4,000 households to understand the usage pattern and detect behaviour or habits that lead to wastage,” said a civic official.
Though water supplied to households is not billed, just the installation appears to have made people more conscious. This has encouraged KMC to bring more areas under the metering scheme. “We will winden the coverage of water meters to Dum Dum, Tallah Park, Paikpara, Belgachhia and other adjoining areas under the scheme. KEIP and ADB have already given their consent,” the civic official said. The decision was taken at a meeting held at the KEIP office on Friday.
These localities apart, KMC water supply department plans to introduce the KEIP project in residential areas off EM Bypass.