The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, has approved Hyderabad Water Board's proposal for a HUDCO loan of Rs 1,670 crore to execute the Krishna Phase III project.

This project seeks to evacuate water from the Krishna river and supply it in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area.

Following a review meeting held on Saturday, the Chief Minister asked the water board to complete the phase-III project by December 2013. The State is likely to provide guarantee for these funds.

According to a statement, the existing water sources for city drinking water requirement, including from the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar are dwindling. The lower inflows to Singur and Manjira is also causing problems. The installed capacity of existing sources is about 340 million gallons per day (mgd) and 271 mgd is available.

The focus is on to augment water supply from Krishna phase-III to bridge the deficit.

Due to rapid urbanisation and merger of surrounding municipalities into Greater Hyderabad, the water demand has gone up significantly.

Under the project, it is proposed to construct water treatment plant of 90 mgd capacity, clean water reservoirs, pumping equipment and related infrastructure. It requires laying of pipelines of 113.5 km-long and distribution trunk of 62 km to connect to service reservoirs.

The clear water transmission mains will be laid parallel to the existing Phase I and II pipelines along the Nagarjunasagar-Hyderabad road.

The Chief Minister suggested the setting up of recycling water plants by the Railways and at bus depots.

>vrishi@thehindu.co.in

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