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Days after the State Cabinet gave its nod to abolish GO No. 111 paving the way for heavy constructions in 84 villages, the Telangana government has issued a new GO (No. 69), removing various restrictions imposed by the former.
This will open up 1.32 lakh acres of land for development, including about 50 villages near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. The then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government introduced GO No. 111 to protect Osman Sagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs.
The new GO argued that the two reservoirs accounted for about 28 per cent of installed capacity of drinking water meant for Hyderabad when the 1996 GO was introduced. “The total installed capacity of drinking water for Hyderabad has grown up from 145 mgd (million gallons a day) in 1996 to 602 mgd now. An additional 344 mgd of capacity is under execution,” it noted.
As a result, it argued, the dependency on these two reservoirs for drinking water would be just 1.25 per cent. “They are no longer the source of drinking water supply to Hyderabad,” it observed.
Govt assurance
While removing the restrictions, the new GO issued on Wednesday, however, said the government would take measures to maintain the water quality in these two reservoirs. Besides setting up Sewerage Treatments Plants (STPs) at various locations, the government will take measures to maintenance of ground water quality.
Committee set up
The GO has formalised a committee under the leadership of Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to suggest measures to protect and prevent pollution of these two reservoirs.
The other members in the committee includes Special Chief Secretaries of Municipal Administration and Urban Development and Finance, Managing Director of HMWSSB (Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board) and Member Secretary of the State Pollution Control Board.
Terms of reference
The panel would suggest broad guidelines for zoning, including marking of green zones in 84 villages. It would also recommend an appropriate institutional framework to take up infrastructure and regulate the development in the area.
It would also suggest regulatory measures to grant layout and building permissions in the area.
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