Pipeline to pass through Botanics

howrah: the howrah municipal corporation has finally obtained a clearance from the botanical survey of india to go ahead with its plan to build a pipeline through the botanical gardens at shibpur in order to improve the water supply in howrah and bally. the kolkata metropolitan development authority, which is laying the pipeline, was, however, trying to take it along the hooghly river bank, running along the fringes of the botanical gardens."the pipeline will pass through the gardens only if required," former bsi director m.p. singh said. the project aims to increase water supply at howrah by 30 million gallon a day. singh, said "after discussions with the hmc, it has been decided to give the project the go-ahead." singh retired few months ago. the technical committee, comprising representatives of the centre, state government, forest and environment experts, has sent its report to the centre for approval. earlier, bsi were against allowing the kmda to lay pipelines as this would damage to microbial nutrition and roots of the valuable trees. a botanics officer had cited legal provisions that bars projects which damage the flora. the rs 67-crore project at padmapukur for howrah and bally was planned by the former mayor of howrah and sitting mp swadesh chakraborty following agitation by opposition councillors. according to the plan, water drawn from the hooghly river at the botanical gardens will be carried to the new treatment plant at padmapukur. the filtered water will then be pumped into six major underground reservoirs at six different places in the hmc and bally municipality areas. from the reservoirs, purified water will be pumped for distribution.