'Reservoirs position satisfactory'

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JUNE 14. The recent inflows into the four reservoirs due to rain in the past week may have been encouraging, but the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is not considering the idea of restoring daily water supply.

Mr. L. Subramanyam, Managing Director of the Board, said the water now available in the Singur Reservoir, which accounts for over 50 per cent of the supply and that can be distributed among the citizens in the twin cities is equivalent to 91 days drawal at the present drawal rate of 66 million gallons a day (mld). In Manjira Barrage, Himayathsagar and Osmansagar it is 41, 105 and 7 days drawal, respectively.

Expressing satisfaction over the inflows and terming the position as `satisfactory', he preferred to avoid a direct reply on restoration of daily water supply. He was briefing presspersons on return from Singur reservoir, after visiting the treatment plant and pumping station at Peddapur.

Against a demand of 200 mgd, he said the Board was able to manage supplies up to 170 mgd. This includes 66 mgd from Singur, 54 from Manjira, 12 from Himayathsagar and 20 from Osmansagar, apart from groundwater sources in the twin cities, the nine surrounding municipalities and the cantonment area.

Mr. Subramanyam said the Board's proposal seeking Rs.130 crores for improving filtration and distribution of water and to cope up with the projected demand due to increasing population over the next three years was under consideration of the Government.

The proposal would help the Board to meet the annual incremental demand due to rise in number of connections (last year 23,000 new connections were given), meet the growing demand from the surrounding municipalities and the projected requirement for three years from now. The investment, he said, would pay itself in just five years.

On the proposed hike in water tariff, he said, unless one took a stand against the issue, the economic angle had to be taken into consideration. He said the hike in power tariff cost the Board 15 per cent more. `Where do you expect the Board to come up with resources to bear the additional burden', he asked.

STP at Hussainsagar

The HMWSSB has sent two proposals to augment its sewage treatment capacity at a total cost of Rs.60 crores, Mr. Subramanyam said.

Addressing a press conference, he said, he proposed to have a Rs.14 crore, 10 million litres a day plant at Hussainsagar in addition to the existing one on the Necklace Road. This was found necessary as inflows of treated water into the Hussainsagar, which is fast becoming the hub of tourist activity, were not enough to keep it full.

The other proposal was to upgrade the primary sewage treatment plant (STP) at Amberpet, which treats 113 mld at present, by adding a primary, secondary and tertiary STP with a capacity of 150 mld, at a cost of Rs.46 crores. This had been proposed under the National River Conservation and Development Project, he said, adding that the proposal was under consideration by the Government and the Central agency.

A third proposal which the Board was at present preparing, was to go for a 10 mld effluent treatment plant at Uppal, in Nallacheruvu, exclusively to take care of industrial effluents.

In addition to the third proposal, the Board proposed to put up a 10 mld STP at a cost of Rs.12 crores. He said only a week ago he had made a presentation before the people from Madhapur, including representatives of software companies in Hi-tec city, taking into consideration the projected increase in population and the requirements of companies.

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