HYDERABAD: The Union government has approved five urban infrastructure projects in Telangana with a combined investment of Rs 3,892.38 crore under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), extending Central assistance of Rs 873.49 crore.
The approvals include Central assistance of Rs 398.40 crore for Phase II and III of the Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project (GDWSP), being implemented by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB).
The projects were approved at the fourth meeting of the National Apex Committee (NAC) of the UCF, held under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Tuesday.
Besides the Godavari drinking water project for Hyderabad, the other approved projects include comprehensive stormwater drainage improvements in the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation, restoration and development of the Warangal Fort moat, development of the Central Business District (CBD), Hanamkonda, and integrated heritage and tourism development at Alampur.
The Godavari water supply project has been sanctioned at Rs 1,992 crore, with Central assistance of Rs 398.40 crore. It involves laying around 120 km of transmission pipelines, constructing two water treatment plants with capacities of 120 MLD and 70 MLD, and creating 102.5 ML of storage capacity.
Together with Phase I, the project is expected to augment Hyderabad’s water supply by 20 TMC and cater to around 174 lakh people across the 2,053 sq km Core Urban Region (CURE) up to 2035. The coverage includes 27 urban local bodies (ULBs) recently merged around the Outer Ring Road. The project is targeted for completion by December 2027.
The HMWS&SB informed the committee that two of the city’s less reliable water sources, Singur and Manjira, are expected to dry up by the end of December.
The Greater Warangal stormwater drainage project, estimated at Rs 1,465 crore, will receive Central assistance of Rs 366.25 crore. It aims to address 24 chronic flooding points across 407.70 sq km through new drainage infrastructure, rejuvenation of 10 major tanks and improvements to nearly 100 km of major nalas.
The Rs 209.08-crore Warangal Fort moat restoration project will receive Rs 52.27 crore in Central assistance. It envisages the restoration of the historic Kakatiya-era moat, along with the development of promenades, bridges, viewing decks and landscaped spaces.
The Hanamkonda CBD development project, estimated at Rs 168.80 crore, has been sanctioned Central assistance of Rs 42.19 crore. The project includes an integrated bus terminal-cum-commercial complex, multi-level parking facilities, development of streets around the Bhadrakali temple, improvements to the surroundings of the Thousand Pillar Temple and redevelopment of the Central Plaza.
The Alampur Integrated Heritage, Tourism and Urban Regeneration Project, estimated at Rs 57.50 crore, will receive Central assistance of Rs 14.38 crore.