KTR vows to quench Hyderabad’s thirst

Hyderabad: Information Technology and Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday said the government was taking measures to construct drinking water reservoirs in the city to make sure there was no shortage of water even if there was drought for two years.

The Minister was replying to various supplementary questions on drinking water supply in the city during the Question Hour in the Assembly, raised by Qutbullahpur MLA K P Vivekanand. 

The Minister said that presently 430 MGD of water was being supplied to the city. He said the water supply network project for 190 villages/habitations beyond the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and within Outer Ring Road (ORR) was taken up under Mission Bhagiratha and it was under progress. 

The Minister said the water supply project was taken up for the peripheral municipal circles with 56 storage reservoirs, and added that laying of inlet feeder mains, outlet and distribution network for a length of 1,900 km would be done with Rs 1,900 crore including Rs 1,700 crore HUDCO loan and balance of Rs 200 crore through State government budget. 

For 190 villages within ORR, 180 storage reservoirs and distribution network for 2,100 km were taken up under annuity mode of contract where the bidder would make the initial investment and the government would repay the amount after construction of project was over for a period of seven years. So far, the government spent Rs 987 crore for drinking water projects, he added.

Rama Rao said that the main intension of the government was to first serve the unserved areas hence exclusive drinking water reservoirs were being constructed. The Keshavapuram reservoir was under construction, he added. 

Responding to a question on 10-day gap in water supply in Bahadurpura and five-day gap in Khairatabad, the Minister said he would ask the HMWS&SB MD to make a field visit and sort out the issue. On the polluted water supply, he asked the MLAs to send the water samples to the testing laboratories. He said the intention of the government was to provide 150 LPCD water per individual in the city.

Stating that the NITI Aayog had recommended the Centre to provide financial assistance to the State government for Mission Bhagiratha programme, the Minister asked the BJP leaders to help the government in getting funds from the government of India. He said that the plan was to make sure there was no shortage of water for the city even if there was drought for two years.