The Hindu : Curbs on `water for Construction' likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Curbs on `water for Construction' likely

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD April 9. The new commercial and huge apartment complexes under construction in the city would not be allowed to draw water for construction purpose till the end of summer in view of drinking water crisis in the twin cities.

A policy decision to this effect would be announced in two or three days, said the Minister for Tourism Talasani Yadav who participated in the Face-to-Face programme of the Municipal Corporation here on Wednesday. The Face-to-Face programme was restricted to tackling the queries on drinking water problem.

The Minister who took the queries asked the people to highlight drinking water problem in their areas so that the administration could attend to them. He urged the people to use drinking water judiciously and not to waste it for gardening and other domestic chores.

As many as 23 questions posed to the Minister and the Mayor were mainly related to irregular water supply, low pressure, supply during odd hours, contaminated water, besides request for repairing defunct borewells and sending more water tankers to problem areas.

The Minister and the Mayor, T.Krishna Reddy, assuring immediate action, called upon the people to follow rainwater harvesting and that every household should have a rainwater harvesting pit.

Recounting the measures being taken by the Government, Metropolitan Water Board and the MCH to address water crises, the Minister said that with both Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs going dry, the city was facing problem for the past 15 days. However five MGD of water at a cost of Rs.7 crores would be now diverted to the city from Khanapur from Thursday. The Government had released Rs.22 crores and the MCH Rs.19 crores to improve water supply. The water supplied to 900 schools in the city would be now utilised for residential areas as the schools were closed for summer vacation.

The Minister said that 96 additional water tankers were pressed into service taking their number to 322 and 200 power borewells were sunk. New borewells in potential areas would be sunk and a tank would be constructed in Shiblihills in Old City.

The Municipal Commissioner Chitra Ramachandran, Water Works Chief Engineer Jambul Reddy and other officials were present.

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Curbs on `water for Construction' likely