Water to areas within ORR by Feb. 2018.

IT and Municipal Administration Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao said water improvement project for ensuring water supply to GHMC and surrounding municipalities, taken up at an estimated cost of ₹1,900 crore with the HUDCO providing loan of ₹1,700 crore, was expected to be completed before February 2018.

Replying during the question hour in the Assembly on Friday, Mr. Rao said the project would cover villages beyond the GHMC area and within the Outer Ring Road. Efforts would be made to cover areas outside the ORR soon.

About 465 km of water pipeline needs to be laid in the city at a cost of ₹502 crore, while 945 km sewerage pipeline was needed which would cost ₹912 crore.

To ensure that water was not contaminated, 3,000 samples were tested every day by three private agencies. To avoid a Bholakpur-like incident, industries which have a chance to pollute were being shifted to 19 identified areas.

Khairatabad MLA Chintala Ramanchandra Reddy suggested that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) could save ₹15 lakh if a reservoir was built near Thattikhana to take water through gravity rather than the present pumping system.

The Minister said the micro tunnel for it would be completed by 2017.

THE HINDU