Naidu gives green signal for Rs 1,000 cr desalination plant

Hyderabad: Citizens of Visakhapatnam are all set to get the much-awaited desalination plant at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore that will cater to their drinking water needs and that of the industry in and around the city.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has, in principle, given green signal to set up a 100-million-litre capacity desalination plant in Vizag. The municipal administration and urban development department officials are preparing detailed project report to get maximum funds from Centre to execute the project.

Though the plant had been proposed long back, it failed to take off for various reasons.

Officials said the need to set up the plant has become essential as Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is unable to cope up with the increasing demand for the drinking water needs as well as the industry requirement.

Presently, the city’s demand for water supply is 80 million gallons per day, but the supply is less than 60 MGD, with nearly 56 MGD being supplied to domestic consumers.