A year after the State Cabinet decided to build two drinking water reservoirs in the City, the water board has called for the first construction tender for one in Keshavpuram in Shamirpet mandal. The work is expected to commence in April.
The board is waiting for Water and Power Consultancy Services India (WAPCOS) to do its land and feasibility survey for Rachakonda reservoir. Second set of tenders for this project will be floated after the WAPCOS report is studied, water board authorities said.
The two reservoirs are expected to be of a capacity of 40 tmcft. Over ₹10,000 crore will be pumped into the realisation of the project. Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services will provide loan for the project. The project cost for Keshavapuram reservoir alone is pegged at ₹7,700 crore. This cost could be borne by the Government.
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Delay in land acquisition
In all 1,572 hectares needs to be acquired for the Keshavapuram reservoir. A large chunk of this, about 1,200 hectares will be private land and 372 hectares is forest land. Permissions to acquire this land has been delayed by months, officials said. With the tenders floated, land acquisition process for the Malkapur reservoir is also expected to commence soon. The reservoir at Keshavapuram, and Shamirpet will draw water from river Krishna while the other one from Godavari.
It is estimated that both the reservoirs will take more than three years for completion. Together they are expected to provide 750 million litres of water per day (MLD) to the city. The city currently consumes 372 million gallons (MGD) or 1,691 MLD of water per day.
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“The two reservoirs will solve the drinking water shortage in the city which is growing in size. A project of this size does take time to executive,” Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Managing Director Dana Kishore told The Hindu . The WAPCOS report for the second reservoir will be ready in three months’ time, he added.
The tendering process will be complete within a month, he added.