HYDERABAD: While residents of Alakapoori, Manikonda and other colonies on the city’s outskirts have regularly been protesting against the state government, demanding infrastructure for drinking-water supply, it has come to light that between 1,050 and 1,100 residential colonies and habitations within the Outer Ring Road (ORR), under the jurisdiction of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), also lack this infrastructure.
Public representatives and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) have been demanding that the government extend water supply to their localities on a par with the Urban Mission Bhagiratha (UMB) programme. The HMWS&SB had earlier submitted proposals to the state government for sanctioning Rs 586 crore to begin works in this regard at these colonies and village habitations, but the government put the proposals on hold due to financial constraints.
Contributions from RWAs and others towards laying pipelines have been stopped in the last three-to-four years, as they are not in a position to share the charges. Only people from approved layouts and gated communities are approaching the HMWS&SB to extend water supply lines by paying the required fees to the water board.
Sources said that under UMB, the water board has taken up the drinking water supply project at 190 villages (including 23 ULBs) beyond the GHMC and within the ORR limits under the annuity mode of contract at a cost of Rs 756 crore, by constructing 164 water reservoirs and laying a 1,630 km pipeline network. Residential colonies beyond the Gramakanta extent of villages have been requesting the government to extend water-supply infrastructure to the said areas on a par with the UMB programme.
A few months ago, the government asked the HMWS&SB to submit the proposals for providing water supply services to all uncovered villages, habitations and housing colonies and extended areas of ORR villages. The HMWS&SB carried out a detailed survey of villages within the ORR and identified 1050-1,100 housing colonies, gated communities, open layout colonies and extended areas, which were not covered under the ongoing annuity project of providing water supply to ORR villages. As per the DPR, a 1,094 km pipeline network has been proposed, with 11 reservoirs of 28.5 ML capacity, all costing Rs 586 crore.
As per the DPR, the estimated cost for each mandal for the proposals are Hayathnagar (Rs 86 crore) Ibrahimpatnam (Rs 7.90 crore), Saroornagar (Rs 100 crore), Maheshwaram (Rs 15 crore), Shamirpet (Rs 12.25 crore), Keesara (Rs 15.50 crore), Quthbullapur (Rs 50.94 crore), Medchal (Rs 15.97 crore), Ghatkesar (Rs 65.30 crore), Shamsabad (Rs 24 crore), Rajendranagar (Rs 96 crore), Patancheru and RC Puram (Rs 98 crore).
In January this year, the chief secretary asked the HMWS&SB to submit proposals to the government for providing water supply to all uncovered villages, habitations, housing colonies and extended areas of ORR villages.