HYDERABAD: Daily drinking water supply will be a reality for the city of Hyderabad by December-end, with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) planning for phase-wise implementation of the same starting from February 1.
To begin with, about 60,000 connections in 157 slums in the city will be given daily water supply from February 1, for which trial runs are already on for the past three days. It would be extended to more households in more slums and colonies phase-wise, Managing Director of the Board M.Dana Kishore said.
“We are planning to extend the daily water supply to 2 or 3 lakh connections in city’s slums and colonies by April end. By July, the pipeline laying works for the peripheral municipalities under the HUDCO-funded project will be completed. Those areas too will be included for the daily supply thereafter,” he said.
90 % coverage
Inclusive of the peripheral areas, the total connections in the city could number about 9 lakh, and the aim is to cover at least 90% of them under the daily water supply scheme by the year-end. “From July, we are planning to add 1 lakh connections each month, to reach our target,” Mr. Dana Kishore said.
Water scarcity will not hamper the plan, as the reservoirs have enough water to last for the summer, he assured. Besides, the quantity of water to be supplied will not increase from the present, as the same quantity will be split between two days.
Campaign against wastage
The Board supplies 300 liters per capita daily (lpcd) now once in two days, and the same will be split between two days to supply 150 lpcd every day, he explained.
NGOs are being roped in to spread awareness against water wastage too in view of the scheme, besides the construction of silt chambers and against abuse of sewerage lines.
The Board will take up 24X7 continuous water supply in a few areas of the city on experimental basis, in the next two to three months, Mr. Dana Kishore said.
