It is just 50 acres of land that stands between parched throats and early completion of the Godavari project. This patch of forest land spread over Karimnagar, Medak and Ranga Reddy districts is proving difficult to be acquired.
Alienation of 25 acres for construction of 150 ml capacity Master Balancing Reservoir at Ghanpur and 12 km gap lengths in the three districts is vital for completion and commissioning of the project before December 31 to bring an additional 735 mld water to the GHMC area. Except for these two trouble spots, all other components of the Rs. 3,375 crore project are making brisk progress.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Bangalore, Anand, made a field visit of these areas the other day and promised speedy clearance of the forest land. But the matter has to get the nod of the Union Cabinet and this will take not less than two to three months. Unless the Chief Minister takes interest things will not move, officials in the Water Board say.
The Board has identified its own land at Murmur in Karimnagar district as compensation for the land to be acquired from the Forest Department.
The Board has almost completed the land requirement of 1,826 acres for laying pipelines and construction of reservoirs.
“Out of the total pipeline length of 186 km so far 117.77 km has been covered in the three packages. Work involving an expenditure of Rs. 1,949.53 crore is done so far and payments made,” says G. Rameshwar Rao, Chief General Manager (PCC-I), HMWSSB.
The project aims at drawing 172 mgd (10 tmc) of water from Yellampally Barrage in Karimnagar to Ghanpur near Shamirpet covering a distance of 186 km. All the nine pumps and motors required for the pump station at Kondapaka are ready. Recently the Water Board engineers visited the Kirloskarwadi factory in Maharashtra and tested the pumps before their transportation here.
Each pump discharges 735 mld water a day. Similar pumps are to be manufactured for the other pump stations at Murmur, Bommakal and Mallaram.
