Date:26/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/26/stories/2003122611430300.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

New master plan to be ready by March: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD DEC. 25. As part of the Master Plan for improving the sewerage system to check pollution and contamination of piped water supply, foundation stone was laid for four trunk sewer lines from Tarnaka to Nallacheruvu via Nacharam and Chilkanagar tanks at Nagarjuna Nagar Colony, Tarnaka, on Thursday.

The Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, B.V. Mohan Reddy, laid the foundation for the sewer lines of 9.5 km, part of the 17 sewer lines identified under priority-I category of the 1994 Master Plan. All the sewer lines would be completed by December 2005.

The Minister said the Sewerage Master Plan covered the entire Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad area and 10 surrounding municipalities. While Uppal, Malkajgiri and Gaddiannaram municipalities were covered totally, other municipalities were covered from 30 per cent to 80 per cent. A separate master plan was being prepared to cover all the municipalities and it would be ready by March 2004. The new plan was being prepared taking into account the requirements of the city for 2020, he said.

The Home Minister, T. Devender Goud, said the growth of the twin cities and surrounding municipalities had no proper planning. The existing sewerage system covered only 62 per cent of the MCH area and was overloaded due to population growth. The 1994 Master Plan was prepared for the ultimate needs of 2020 covering an area of 351.63 sq km basin area draining into the Musi and requiring an amount of Rs.1,800 crores.

Of the Rs.1,800 crores required for the MCH area and parts of surrounding municipalities, Rs.344 crores was sanctioned for pollution abatement of the Musi project under which five sewage treatment plants with a capacity of 592 MLD would be taken up to release treated sewage into the Musi.

He said as the pollution of the twin cities was affecting villages from Ghatkesar till Krishna district, they strove to get the Musi project sanctioned under the National River Conservation Programme. The project would be grounded soon by the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The Commercial Taxes Minister, K. Vijayarama Raothe HMWSSB Managing Director, M.G. Gopal, and local corporators spoke.