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The Rs 250-crore Country Club (India) Ltd, owners of the largest chain of family clubs in India, has chalked out Rs 1,000-crore expansion plan by acquiring more clubs and expanding its foot print in more cities in the next three years. The company will also foray into Dubai, Thailand and Bangkok soon.

Mr Y. Rajeev Reddy, CMD, Country Club said, “We will expand in the western part of country. We are planning to set up premium club ‘Kool’ and will also promote medical tourism by setting up spas in association with Kerala-based Kairali at various locations”.

When asked about overseas foray, Mr Reddy said, “we are eying properties in Dubai, Thailand and Bangkok.” But he refused to reveal details. However, sources said the company was close to acquiring a property in Dubai, which will cost Rs 200 crore. The company, which operates 200 clubs across the country, has opened its first ‘Kool’ club in Ahmedabad. Two more Kool club will come up in Hyderabad and Bangalore by July.

Construction has began here on what are to become the world’s largest pre-stressed concrete drinking-water reservoirs. On completion, the three reservoirs will contain a total of 180 million gallons of drinking water, marking a major milestone in Dubai’s expansion of its utility infrastructure. The Mammut Group is undertaking the construction work under a $168.6-million contract at the Mushrif area of this west Asian metropolis.

Behzad Ferdows, chairman and chief executive of the Dubai-headquartered Mammut Group, said “With rapid population growth and economic development driving an exponential increase in the demand for water, governments throughout the region are continuously boosting supply to keep pace.”

According to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) statistics, Dubai currently has a water capacity of 262 million gallons a day and this will rise to nearly 800 million gallons aby day 2015. Dubai’s current population is around 1.6 million and this is growing at a rapid pace. The Mushrif reservoirs will expand DEWA’s current water storage capacity from 235 million gallons to 415 million gallons. The three giant Mushrif reservoirs will cover a total area of approximately 165,000 square metres, measure 372 metres in length, 169 metres in width and 5.6 metres in depth, consume 270,000 cubic metres of concrete and use 27,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel.

According to DEWA managing director and chief executive Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, the three reservoirs would satisfy the unprecedented growth in demand for DEWA’s services for the ambitious projects in progress. Construction of the reservoirs will take 15 months. The Earl Thomas Reservoir serving San Diego in California is currently the world’s largest pre-stressed-concrete drinking-water reservoir with a capacity of 35 million gallons.