VISAKHAPATNAM: In tune with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's instructions to focus on priority projects in Visakhapatnam, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is gearing up to implement a pipeline project to draw Godavari water to the city so that the drinking water needs of the district can be met till 2050.
The pipeline construction is one of the priority projects that were reviewed by Jagan at a recent high-level meeting. GVMC chief engineer M Venkateswara Rao told The New Indian Express here on Thursday that the pipeline, which was earlier proposed for 180 km from Polavaram at Rs 4,700 crore, will now be laid from Yeleru.
With this, the length of the pipeline will come down by 50 km, and the project cost by one third to Rs 3,400 crore. The decision to lay the pipeline from Yeleru was taken after assessment of the water availability as the water-level can now be maintained, thanks to the Purushothapatnam project.
The chief engineer said tha once the dedicated pipeline project is ready, the Yeleru canal will be used for irrigation purpose. Godavari waters will meet the drinking water needs of the entire district, both Visakhapatnam urban and rural.
Construction of the project, pending since a decade, was initially planned from Yeleswaram to Kaleswara at Rs 2,700 crore. However, as the chief minister wanted the pipeline to begin from Polavaram so that towns and villages in East Godavari district en route could be covered too, the project design was reworked accordingly.
As per the revised plan, proposals were made for a 180-km pipeline from Polavaram to Narava. However, the CM approved the 130-km pipeline project as 300 cusecs of water can be supplied to Vizag city daily. Officials said a revised DPR will be prepared and works will commence after the government gives its nod to the DPR.
Visakhapatnam experienced severe water scarcity two years ago due to scanty rainfall. The GVMC officials had proposed to lay two pipelines from Narava at Rs 200 crore to supply the Godavari water to the city after completion of the Polavaram project as a permanent solution to the water woes the area faces.