Drinking water projects may lag.

The Water Board is unlikely to keep the deadline of March for commissioning Krishna Phase III and Godavari drinking water projects. Both the projects are expected to be delayed by a few months since works are still in progress, while the Godavari water scheme is also dogged by litigation.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had asked the Board to adhere to the deadline of March for completing the projects while laying the foundation stone for Krishna Phase III in June. Officials say they are doing their best to complete the projects but fear the work might get delayed.

The Board has laid pipeline to a distance of 50 km of the 110 km from Kodandapur to Sahebnagar for the Krishna phase III while construction of five reservoirs and three pump houses are in different stages of completion.

The balance works are expected to be completed by April but still it would take few more months to commission the project, it is said.

THE HINDU