India - Veolia Water to supply another 200,000 people in Karnataka state

Veolia Water has just sealed three new deals in the state of Karnataka, India. The cities of Ilkal and Bijapur, in northern Karnataka, and the Indian Institute of Science—one of the country's most prestigious institutions of higher education, located in the state capital, Bangalore—have awarded Veolia Water a contract for their water supply service. The goal is to provide residents and students with quality supply 24/7, as compared with the few hours of access they currently have each week. Veolia Water is one of the few operators in India to have the required know-how for such a project. The company's expertise has already been recognized by several municipalities across the country, including New Delhi, one of its most densely populated districts.

The city of Ilkal has selected Veolia Water to build the distribution network and manage the water supply service for its 110,000 residents, about 25% of whom live in slums. The fiveand-a-half-year contract should generate almost €4 million in revenue for Veolia Water. Construction and renovation work will take 18 months and the operation and maintenance phase will last four years.

In Bijapur, Veolia Water will supply drinking water to 15% of the city's population, or nearly 67,000 residents. The six-year contract will bring in €4.5 million in revenue for Veolia Water.

Initially, Veolia Water will focus on renovating the water distribution network to boost its efficiency, which is 60% at best. These figures are seen as unacceptable in a country that constantly battles water shortages and a patchy distribution of water resources. After two years of construction work, residents of Bijapur's north district will enjoy service that meets international water quality, service continuity and customer relations standards.

For the 8,000 students and hundreds of administrative personnel who work and study at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore —a veritable city within a city— Veolia Water will manage water supply and wastewater system over a three-year period. The campus has suffered serious shortages over the last few years.

 

Veolia Water India has strengthened its position in 2012

"I'm especially proud we have won the last three tenders issued by Karnataka because this is the very state that saw Veolia Water India's beginnings more than 10 years ago. In 2005, Karnataka and the World Bank chose us to prove that 24/7 service was possible in India, just like anywhere else. Few people believed it at the time, but we have succeeded. And we're still managing the 'demo-zones' in the cities of Hubli-Dharwad and Belgaum."

Patrick Rousseau
CEO of Veolia Water's Indian subsidiary

Those pilot zones were the first in India to receive high-quality, professionally managed, sustainable, green services, affordable to all and providing a continuous supply of water.

They served as the starting point for Veolia Water's expansion in the country. Our Indian subsidiary now operates in several cities, including New Delhi and Nagpur in Maharashtra state. All told, Veolia Water India serves more than 4.5 million Indian résidents.

 

"For us, India serves as a showcase not only for best operational practices but also for corporate social responsibility. Thanks to our know-how and the continuous involvement of our municipal partners, we're making it possible for even the poorest residents to enjoy a service that until now was neither technically feasible nor affordable in the country."

Jean-Michel Herrewyn
Veolia Water's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

 

Veolia Water

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services. With 89,094 employees, Veolia Water provides water services to 100 million people and wastewater services to 71 million. Its 2012 revenue amounted to €12.078 billion.

> Veolia Water website

 

Veolia Environnement

Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is the worldwide reference in environmental solutions. With 220,000 employees*, the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in three complementary segments: water management, waste management and energy management. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of €29.4 billion* in 2012.

Excluding Veolia Transdev employees and revenues currently under divestment

 

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