The government is exploring the possibility of raising institutional finance for the Rs. 1800 crore Krishna Drinking Water Supply phase III project from various sources like annuity payments under BOT model for a period of 15 years. It is also considering mobilising loan from HUDCO and JICA in addition to the budgetary grants.
Subject to the availability of financial tie-up, government hopes to commission the project within a period of 18 to 24 months on a fast track basis so as to bring water to the peripheral areas of GHMC much before 2014.
The 90 mgd water proposed to be drawn from Krishna phase III is expected to make scarcity a thing of the past in the peripheral areas. At present residents in tail end areas of Malkajgiri, Alwal, Qutbullapur and Kapra are getting piped water once in three to four days although the water position is comfortable in the reservoirs. This is because of the limited nature of the existing distribution network.
Though the surrounding municipalities, which are merged with GHMC, have some kind of a network but it needs to be strengthened and expanded further if the additional water is to be properly utilised.
Also for meeting the ultimate requirement up to 2026 expansion of the network is inevitable, it is said.
The Water Board is examining the possibility of inviting private investments besides mobilising deposits from user agencies and resident welfare associations to meet the expenses towards expansion of the distribution network.
Presently the outlying areas are given just 80 Litre Per Capita Per Day (LPCD) while the core areas gets 150 LPCD against the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation norms of 165 LPCD. The present demand of the City is 459 mgd while the Board is able to supply only 340 mgd. The demand is expected to grow to 469.06 mgd in 2012, 480.06 mgd in 2013, 490.05 mgd in 2014 and 501.04 mgd in 2015.
Authorities are also planning to ensure interconnection of various systems since the dependability of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar was going down by the day. Core areas like Assembly, New MLA quarters, Secretariat and major hospitals can not afford to depend on only one source, it is said.
