A decade-old pipeline, unused since it was laid, has helped Secunderabad Cantonment Board rediscover a natural gradient of the city. This has helped the board to substantially reduce pumping of water, by supplying under gravity.
Rejuvenation work
For more than a year now, the Cantonment Board has been reworking on utilisation of sewerage and distribution of water by replacing old lines with newer and bigger lines, as well as changing distribution patterns.
After the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board started supplying Secunderabad Cantonment with Godavari water earlier this year, the board has been able to use the city’s slope.
“Earlier, we used to pump water from south of the Cantonment to the north . Now, the gradient from north to south is being utilised to supply water to the cantonment,” said superintendent for water and street-lighting, M. Raj Kumar.
The Cantonment Board draws around 60 to 65 lakh gallons per day from the HMWSSB. Earlier, Krishna water was supplied at the southern end of the Cantonment Board bordered by Mahendra Hills and S.P. Road, to be pumped northward. As a result, the northern fringes of Cantonment beyond Trimulgherry, mainly Bolarum and further, complained of inadequate and erratic water supply.
Now, the board is being supplied with Godavari water at Risala Bazar, which is being let to flow towards the south. A 600 mm diameter pipeline that was laid from Risala Bazar in 2008, but remained unused, has helped to do away with 7.2 km of pumping along north-south direction. Godavari water is now being supplied under gravity till Trimulgherry while Krishna water is being supplied through a combination of gravity and pumping to areas south of the Cantonment.
Bolarum and surrounding areas are being supplied water on a daily basis, officials claim.
Trial basis
After the revamp, the board has stopped pumping water at Lothkunta and Marredpally pump-houses. Trials have been conducted at Gunrock, while plans are afoot to cut down pumping at Mahendra Hills as well. An estimated ₹1.5 crore per annum is expected to be saved even when about 20 per cent of the work was still pending.
Secunderabad Cantonment Board chief executive officer S.V.R Chandra Sekhar said electricity savings and other benefits are already visible. He added that there is scope for greater savings after all tasks were executed.
