Manjeera water supply under threat; City’s lifeline corroded

• Pipelines, treatment plant and pump houses are corroded
  
• 45mgd water under question
  
• Water Board prepares action plan worth Rs 450 cr

Manjeera water supply is the lifeline of the city. It has been catering to the drinking water needs of the city for the past four decades. Some 45 million gallons of Manjeera water is supplied every day. It is a rude shock that this supply is now under peril. The pump houses which have been serving for the past four decades at Kalpagur (Manjeera Barrage) and the water treatment plant at Rajampet have outlived their utility and now lie in a corroded state.

Sources in the Water Board say that off late there have been many instances of leakage from the pipelines.
“Though we have been changing pipelines and ring mains to arrest leaks, it hasn’t solved the issue on hand,” says a source.
The pipelines have worn-out and with disruption in the power supply, the water pressure changes which causes leaks at the junctions and worn-out joints.
A team of engineers from Water Board, who inspected the pipelines and pumping stations, have submitted a report advising the authorities to revamp phase I and phase II pipelines of the Manjeera project which were laid in 1961 and 1982 respectively.

Based on the report, an action plan has been prepared to relay the entire pipeline network along with building pumping houses and a water treatment plant at an estimated cost of Rs 450 crore. “Initial estimates point that Rs 400 crore is required to relay the entire 60 km pipeline network from the barrage to Hydernagar. We have also proposed to change pumping machines at an estimated budget of Rs 35 crore. The water treatment plant would also be refurbished with Rs 15 crore. Our team would be meeting Chief Minister KCR shortly and we would put forward the proposal,” explained a senior official of the Water Board.

The city is now being supplied 340 mgd (million gallons per day) of water. Osmansagar and Himayatsagar contribute 40mgd each, Singur and Manjeera together supply 120mgd and Krishna phase I and II supply 180mgd. With the city reeling under water crisis, if the Manjeera water supply is affected, residents in Madhapur, Patancheru and Kukatpally would face untold sufferings. But with the Water Board facing a cash crunch, would KCR extend a helping hand?