Telangana govt approves 2nd phase of Godavari works

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday gave the green signal to the second phase of the Godavari works to address Hyderabad’s drinking water needs.

The Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration Department, Dana Kishore, said that Rs 5,560 crore has been allocated for the second phase of the Godavari works. This scheme will not only lift Godavari water to Hyderabad but also fill the Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs. Efforts will be made to complete the works quickly. According to HMWSSB officials, the city currently receives 580 MGD to 600 MGD of water from all sources for its drinking water needs. Considering the projected water requirements up to the year 2030, the State government plans to supply an additional 170 MGD of water. Given the opportunity to utilise a total of 30 TMC of water from the Godavari River, the decision was made to undertake the second phase of the Godavari project to meet this additional demand. By 2030, the drinking water demand in Hyderabad is expected to increase to 750 MGD. By 2050, the drinking water demand in Hyderabad is projected to reach 1,014 MGD.

This project is part of the plan to meet that future need. Under the Godavari Drinking Water Supply Scheme Phase 1, the Water Board has already diverted 10 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) of water from the Ellampalli project to meet the city’s water requirements. In the second phase of the scheme, an additional 15 TMC of water will be sourced from the Mallanna Sagar reservoir. Of this 15 TMC, 10 TMC will be allocated for the city’s drinking water needs, while the remaining 5 TMC will be used to revive the twin reservoirs and clean the Musi River. This project thus has a dual benefit: satisfying the water needs of Hyderabad’s residents and improving the environmental health of the Musi River and the twin reservoirs.

Explaining the upcoming project, a senior official, Water Board said, “The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this initiative has been prepared by WAPCOS. The project will include the construction of pump houses, substations, and a large pipeline with a diameter of 3,600 mm from Mallanna Sagar to Ghanpur. Additionally, a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a capacity of 780 MLD will be built at Ghanpur and Shameerpet. The project also includes the construction of a pumping main from Ghanpur to Muthangi, among other works. We aim to complete the project within two years. Recently, Rs 3,849.10 crore has been allocated for the STPs project, and Rs 5,560 crore has been sanctioned for fresh drinking water supply, cleaning the Musi River, and reviving the twin reservoirs.”