Hyderabad: The negligence of Water Board officials and contractors while laying pipelines in the IT corridor could lead to leakages in future. Norms are being ignored in the rush to meet deadline.
As per schedule, four reservoirs – Miyapur, Hafeezpet, Gopanpally and Nallagandla — of the 11 proposed, were expected to have been completed by Sankranti. Due to delays, the work is still pending.
But the four reservoirs have become functional.
The project to construct 11 reservoirs and lay pipelines in the IT corridor is estimated to cost Rs 290 crore. The Water Board is laying 18.5 km feeder lines and 36.5 km of internal pipelines. About 7 km of the main feeder line is ready as also 10 km of internal pipeline.
As per Water Board norms, 500 mm diameter pipelines should be laid at a depth of 1.5 metres (nearly 5 feet) but contractors are laying them at 3 to 4 feet near the Excise police station, Manjeera Pipeline Road and at Saraswathi Sishu Mandhir School.
The board deputy general manager, projects, D. Sridhar, said the officials would inspect the work and action taken against contractors who have laid the pipelines at shallow depths.
Chief general manager, projects, M. Yella Swamy, said that in a few cases, the board had given exemptions. “If another water or sewerage pipeline causes an impediment, the contractor can either lay the pipes deeper or one foot less than the specified depth. During our inspection, we noticed such practices and insisted that the contractor re-lay 10 pipes. We will inspect Hafeezpet among other places within two days,” he said.
