HYDERABAD: For the first time, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board will undertake a project to provide drinking water to 190 villages/habitations beyond Greater Hyderabad but within Outer Ring Road limits under the modified annuity model (lump sum contract-modified equated yearly instalment mode) shortly.
Annuity mode in water sector has not been tried in the country except in national highway and airport projects which turned out to be successful.
The HMWS&SB has entrusted the work to Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), which came forward to invest in the Rs 628 crore project, for the next two years and another Rs 75 crore towards interest during the construction period — totalling Rs 703 crore. Construction will last two years and the concession period is seven years.
After the project’s completion, HMWS&SB has to repay the amount annually for the next seven years. It has to pay the contractor about Rs 161.59 crore every year for seven years, which comes to around Rs 1,131 crore. HMWS&SB officials told Express that the work would begin soon.
As many as 183 villages and seven municipalities beyond GHMC but within ORR limits will receive potable drinking water on the lines of supplies to the twin cities. Pipelines to a length of 2,000 km and covering an area of 800 sq.km will be laid and over 400 reservoirs constructed.
Between 60,000 and 65,000 households with over 8 lakh population falling in these 190 villages and habitations spread over 12 or 13 mandals in Rangareddy and Medak districts will benefit from the scheme. These include two Nagar panchayats Badangpet and Pedda Amberpet.
The mandals include Saroornagar (12,294), Maheshwaram (1,282), Rajendranagar (5,167), Shamshabad (1,060), Hayathnagar (3,299), Ibrahimpatnam (356), Ghatkesar (7,747), Keesara (5,212), Shameerpet (8,764), Medchal (1,054), Quthbullapur (8,268), Patancheru and Ramchandrapuram (5,046). The work includes construction of 12 new overhead balancing reservoirs (OHBR), 398 overhead service reservoirs (OHSR) reservoirs and its associated works, providing connections to households and its allied works, construction of pump houses; and electrical and mechanical works.
Inlet mains with DI pipes (278 km), intra network with HDPE and DI pipes (1,685 km) etc will be laid. For intra network pipelines, HDPE pipes will be used for villages having a population of less than 1,000 and DI pipes for other villages.
The scheme of providing drinking water beyond GHMC and within ORR limits is part of the Mission Bhagiratha (state water grid).
At present, these areas are served under the Rural Water Supply scheme. After the implementation of the present project, the entire GHMC area will be served by HMWS&SB. Mission Bhagiratha aims to provide 100 litres of potable drinking water per person in rural areas and 150 litres in urban areas.