Though living in close proximity to the River Godavari, the residents of various localities in the temple town of Bhadrachalam facing the perennial problem of drinking water shortage due to the inordinate delay in execution of the water supply improvement scheme in the major gram panchayat.
Work on the ambitious scheme began at an estimated cost of Rs 9.3 crore in 2008. The scheme was designed to augment drinking water supply in the temple town, a major Gram Panchayat as well as the revenue divisional headquarters.
Two elevated level service reservoirs (ELSRs) of 1000 KL and 900 KL capacity respectively, a pump house and an intake well were constructed under the first phase of the scheme in 2012.
But, the two ELSRs located on the premises of the new market on Charla road in the temple town remained unused till date due to non-completion of distribution of water pipelines to a length of 50 km in the temple town, sources added.
New filteration plant
Work on the construction of the new filtration plant of 12 million litres per day (MLD) capacity taken up under the second phase of the scheme at Pandavulagutta is progressing at a snail’s pace due to fund crunch.
Although the departments concerned had sent proposals for sanction of Rs.25 crore for execution of the second phase of the scheme in the past, the government reportedly sanctioned only Rs.15 crore, sources said.
The Public Health and Municipal Engineering Department (PHMED), which is executing the project, has reportedly submitted a written requisition to the government for entrusting the task of maintenance of the scheme after its completion to the Rural Water Supply (RWS) Department.
The PHMED has reportedly cited financial constraints involved in operation of the water supply scheme with the meagre funds available at the disposal of the major gram panchyat.
The existing decades-old filtration plant of 3 MLD capacity situated at Ranganayakulagutta has become outdated, lamented B. Venkateshwarlu of Sitarama Nagar Colony in the temple town.
This has necessitated immediate construction of a new filtration plant for augmenting drinking water supply in the temple town, which is set to celebrate the Godavari Pushkaralu in July this year, he suggested.
The population of the temple town is estimated to be around 70,000.
This apart, the temple town is frequented by scores of devotees daily from not only Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but also from various other States, including Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
More than 60 per cent of the residents of the temple town are yet to be covered under the protected drinking water supply, deplored Brahma Chary of Bhagwandas Colony in Bhadrachalam.
Work on the 12 MLD filtration plant at Pandavulagutta is being carried out expeditiously, asserted V. Srinivas Rao, Assistant Engineer, PHMED, Bhadrachalam section.
The two new ELSRs at the market will become functional soon, he said, adding that two more ELSRs were proposed to be constructed one each on the ITDA office premises and another near the timber depot in the town.
