HYDERABAD: With Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordering a long-term urban policy for the Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR) within the Outer Ring Road (ORR), the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is preparing a master plan for water and sewerage projects for the TCUR, based on population estimates up to 2047.
The Water Board plans to expand its jurisdiction from 1,400 to 2,050 square kilometres and submit the report to the state government within three months, HMWSSB Managing Director K Ashok Reddy, who completed one year in office, told TNIE.
The Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project (GDWSP) Phase II and III, costing Rs 7,360 crore, will provide 20 tmcft of water from Mallannasagar — 15 tmcft for Hyderabad’s drinking needs and 5 tmcft for filling Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs as part of the Musi rejuvenation project. Tenders for the project have been finalised.
A long-term plan is also being prepared for sewerage lines, sewage treatment plants (STPs) and reuse of treated water. Under the Musi Riverfront Development Project, 39 STPs for Urban Local Bodies between GHMC and ORR will be built at a cost of Rs 3,840 crore. Funding will come from the Centre, state and PPP mode.
Four STPs are under construction to prevent sewage from entering Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs. These include plants at Janwada, Himayatnagar, Nagireddyguda and the Kamuni nala confluence point, with completion expected within nine months.
A detailed report is being prepared for a second Manjira pipeline at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. The ORR drinking water Phase II project is nearly complete, and sewerage works in the old city are progressing.
HMWSSB has undertaken reforms, including GIS mapping, dashboard monitoring and special drives to address sewage overflow and low water pressure. The 90-day Sewerage Special Drive launched on October 2 last year continues as an ongoing programme. Around 3,620 kilometres of sewerage pipelines have been cleaned, and complaints have reduced by up to 30 per cent. Water tanker demand during summer was met without delay through an expanded fleet and filling points.