More water for Hyderabad by August

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad will get an additional 50 million gallons of drinking water by July or August, taking the total water supply in the city to 390 million gallons per day against the present 340 MGD.

Through the Krishna Phase-III project that will bring 90 MGD of water daily to the city is likely to be delayed, and will be completed only by year-end, efforts are on to partially commission the project in the next two months and bring in at least 40 MGD to 50 MGD water.

Though Water Board MD J. Syamala Rao has set a target of June 15 for officials to partially commission the Krishna Phase-III project, sources said trial runs need time, and the city will start getting the additional 50 MGD water only in July or August.

Water Board engineer-in-chief M. Satyanarayana told DC that though the water would be distributed to the entire city, Malkajgiri, Kapra, Uppal, LB Nagar, Rajendernagar, Qutbullapur, Alwal and Kukatpally would benefit the most from the additional 50 MGD water.

“Works to lay pipelines is 90 per cent complete. We can partially commission the project in a month but trial runs will take time. Even Krishna Phase-I and Phase-II were partially commissioned in the beginning before the full 180 MGD was pumped from both the phases put together. Our effort is to complete the project and bring the full 90 MGD as early as possible, and not allow the works to drag till November or December,” Mr Satyanarayana said.

Officials said Krishna Phase-III was crucial for the city as it is expected to meet the needs of lakhs in nearby municipalities. A large number of colonies in Malkajgiri, Kapra, Alwal, Uppal and Qutbullapur municipal circles, which are getting water supply once a week or once in five days, will get alternate day supply once Krishna Phase-III is commissioned fully.

Though the government wanted the Water Board to complete the project before the 2014 polls, the bifurcation and other problems delayed the project.