HMWSSB projects aim to supply to every house
Water supply to be interrupted in many areas
Hyderabad: Several projects specifically aimed at ensuring a steady supply of drinking water to households and also to address the possible future demands in the State's capital in the coming decades, were taken up by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) in 2022.
As a part of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) Phase-II project, the board laid pipelines in over 500 colonies located beyond Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and within the ORR jurisdiction. Once the reservoirs at these places are completed, water supply will start in the colonies. The HMWS&SB is planning to complete the entire project by December 2023.
With the city drastically expanding, there are over 1,200 colonies (most new) located beyond GHMC limits and within ORR jurisdiction where drinking water has to be supplied.
A board official said. "we signed the agreement on January 2022 after the identification of colonies. Since the date of the agreement, the number of colonies has increased". The ORR Phase-II project, being undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore, will provide water to gram panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations, housing layouts, and gated communities.
According to the board officials, the water requirement of Hyderabad is 37 TMC which is expected to go up to 47.76 TMS in 2035, 58.98 TMC by 2050, 67.71 TMC by 2065, and 70.97 TMC by 2072.
Keeping in mind the rapid growth of Hyderabad and the huge projected demand for water in the coming decades, the State government has directed the board to implement Sunkishala Intake Project.
Once the project is completed, the water needs of people living in the GHMC limits and Hyderabad urban agglomeration area can be met even if there is deficient rainfall.
Another unique initiative taken up by the board this year is to construct 31 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Greater Hyderabad with an ambition of treating 1257.50 million litres per day (MLDs) of sewage under three packages at a cost of Rs 3,800 crore with an intention of ensuring 100 percent sewage treatment in the city.
The board set itself the target of June 2023 to complete all STP works, which would make Hyderabad the only city in the country that treats its entire sewage.