HYDERABAD: With the commissioning of 19 water reservoirs, consumers in the peripheral Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Gram Panchayats (GPs) outside the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits but within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) are set to receive improved drinking water supply.
The project is expected to benefit thousands of households in mandals such as Saroornagar, Maheshwaram, Shamshabad, Hayathnagar, Ibrahimpatnam, Ghatkesar, Keesara, Rajendranagar, Shamirpet, Medchal, Qutubullapur, RC Puram, Patancheru and Bolarum. The initiative includes the construction of 19 Ground Level Surface Reservoirs (GLSRs) and Elevated Level Surface Reservoirs (ELSRs) along with the laying of approximately 554.77 km of water pipelines at a cost of Rs 188.11 crore. These reservoirs are distributed across Medchal (seven), Maheshwaram (six), Patancheru (four) and Rajendranagar (two) Assembly constituencies. Each consumer is expected to receive the water supply on alternate days with 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD).
Sewerage infrastructure
In addition to water supply, six Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 527 million litres per day (MLD) have also been commissioned. These STPs aim to prevent sewage flows in the catchment areas, achieving 100% sewage treatment in the GHMC area by December 2025. Part of a Rs 3,866-crore project funded by the state government, this initiative focuses on enhancing urban sanitation and protecting local water bodies from untreated sewage. The treated water will be released into tanks and water bodies in compliance with standards, preserving hydrology and improving hygiene in and around the catchment areas.
Sources said that to ensure adequate drinking water for ULBs and GPs within the ORR and outside GHMC limits, the state government allocated Rs 1,200 crore in September 2021. Under the ORR Phase-II project, HMWSSB is constructing 71 ELSRs/GLSRs with a total capacity of 138 ML across 12 mandals. Of these, 61 reservoirs have been completed, while 10 are nearing completion. Additionally, 2,728 km of the planned 2,764 km of inlet, outlet and distribution pipelines have been laid.
Out of the 20 STPs planned for the GHMC area with a total capacity of 1,106 MLD, 10 STPs with a combined capacity of 653 MLD have been commissioned, including those at Kokapet (15 MLD), Durgam Cheruvu (7 MLD), Nalla Cheruvu (86.5 MLD), and Pedda Cheruvu (17.5 MLD). The remaining 10 STPs, with a total capacity of 453 MLD, are under construction and are expected to be operational by December 2024 or January 2025.