The Hindu : `Emergency plan' for Krishna water dropped, says Goud

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

`Emergency plan' for Krishna water dropped, says Goud

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Jan. 6. The Government has given up its plan to supplement the storages in Osmansagar and Himayathsagar with Krishna water for meeting the summer situation and instead, is going ahead with implementation of the permanent Krishna water project on a war-footing to bring 45 MGD by March 2004 -- a gap of 14 months from now.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, the Home Minister, T. Devender Goud, who heads the Cabinet sub-committee existing on the matter, said, they had to give up the "emergency plan'' drawn up earlier to fill the Osmansagar-Hmayathsagar, considering some practical problems, duplication of work and costs. Laying of the pipeline from the source to bring 25 MGD (million gallons per day), as contemplated, would have cost the exchequer Rs 280 crores. However, this pipeline would have to be abandoned at a later stage when a bigger dia pipeline would replace this, to be taken as part of the permanent project.

The Home Minister who was accompanied by the MD for the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, M. G. Gopal, said, a firm decision was taken by the committee after a series of meetings to opt for implementation of the permanent project and complete the first of its three pipelines by March 2004 and ensure the first benefit of 45 MGD. The pipeline would be laid at a cost of Rs 875 crores with a carrying capacity of 90 MGD. The other half of 45 MGD could be ensured only if the board spent Rs 55 crores more later. The next two pipelines, each with a carrying capacity of 90 MGD, would be completed by 2016 AD, the Minister said.

Asked how they were going to meet the present shortage caused by monsoon failure and depletions in the reservoirs, Mr Devender Goud said against a total demand of 230 MGD, they were supplying 162 MGD at present, out of all sources. But, with 15 MGD out of this going as waste by way of leakages etc, only 147 MGD was reaching the consumers. They had a drawn up an action plan for implementing four major steps for saving--saving of 24 MGD which was now going to industries by diverting industries to tanks existing at Jeedimetla, Kukatpalli, Miyapur etc, increased tapping of groundwater and plugging all leakages at a cost of Rs 30 crores which would give another 8 MGD.

The Minister and the official said, the city might face a shortage of 30 MGD by summer and appealed to the residents/industries to extend coooperation by a frugal use of the available water and by appreciating the measures likely to be taken by the board. They, however, ruled out switchver to a twice-a-week supply as was being feared, saying that such a situation would not come.

The Minister said the HUDCO had agreed to give a bridge loan of Rs 150 crores and a term-loan of Rs 350 crores for implementing the permanent Krishna project.

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