Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy assured on Monday that phase-III of the Krishna Drinking Water Supply Project would be completed by the end of 2013 after the Opposition members charged the government with neglecting the needs of the city.
Question hour
Intervening during Question Hour, he said the government had in principle decided to take up Krishna water project's phase-III to augment the drinking water needs by supplying an additional 5.5 TMC.
It is examining the loan offers of Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and HUDCO for financing the project.
Mr. Reddy also assured that whatever funds needed to take up emergency works to tide over the drinking water problem would be released.
Review meeting
Earlier, the Speaker N. Manohar directed Municipal Administration Minister M. Maheedhar Reddy to hold a review meeting with the city legislators on Tuesday even as Majlis members rushed to the podium seeking an assurance in this regard.
The Opposition and Congress members accused the Minister of misleading the House by stating that scarcity problem existed in the peripheral circles of Qutbullapur, Alwal and Malkajgiri. They said there was water scarcity in several areas, including New MLA Quarters and Road No.12 in the heart of the city.
Drinking water needs
They charged the government with neglecting the drinking water needs of the city and sought to know by when the phase-III of Krishna Water Project would be completed.
Replying to the main question, Mr. Mahidhar Reddy said that a detailed project report for phase-III of the Krishna drinking water project scheme with an estimated cost of Rs.1670 crore is under consideration.
He assured to expedite the project and said the tenders would be called for in the next couple of months.
Work in progress
In order to bridge the deficit up to 2017, the Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project to bring 172 mgd is taken up and works are in progress.
The Minister denied that he had misled the House and said that he had only mentioned that the scarcity was more in peripheral areas and had never said that there was no scarcity in the city. The BJP members staged a walkout later protesting against the government's attitude.
