HYDERABAD: Irrespective of their political affiliations, city legislators Tuesday wanted the state government to allocate adequate funds to Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) for better drinking water supply to citizens of Greater Hyderabad during summer.
At a review meeting chaired by Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister M Maheedhar Reddy on Tuesday, the MLAs wanted the government to take up the phase-III of Krishna drinking water supply scheme to bring 90 MGD of water from Akkampally.
Lok Satta MLA Jayaprakash Narayan faulted the government for not allocating funds to the Water Board for taking up developmental works. Expenditure is more than the revenue generation as the collected revenues are going towards power charges, maintenance and operation costs and there is money for development works. MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi suggested that officials should focus on Krishna project rather than the Godavari project which would take long time for completion.
The minister assured members that the phase-III of Krishna drinking water supply would be completed by 2013. "The government has to finalise the funding agencies for the project," he said. The Japan International Cooperation Agency and Housing and Urban Development Corporation have come forward to provide funds. JICA will charge 4 percent interest on long term but sanctioning of the project will take some time while HUDCO is ready to give loan but charging 10.5 per cent.
MLAs D Sudheer Reddy, Mohazham Khan, Afsar Khan, Ahmed Pasha Quadri, Jaysudha Kapoor, Raja Reddy, Virasat Rasool Khan and Ahmed Balala wanted the additional water tankers be pressed into service.