The Telangana government will promulgate an ordinance to give itself the ‘right of way’ and ‘right of use’ of land in the State for construction of pipelines for implementation of its prestigious water grid programme to provide safe drinking water in all rural habitations.
The right of way will be applied not only to dig private lands but put up electric poles to lay transmission lines for the purpose of lifting, pumping and treating water, said Panchayat Raj Minister K.T. Rama Rao after a coordination meeting of senior officers of six departments involved in the programme. The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on his return from Kerala.
The officers of forest, energy, roads and buildings, panchayat raj, irrigation, revenue, municipal administration and public health were present.
Briefing mediapersons on the deliberations, Mr. Rama Rao said the ordinance route to lay pipelines was contemplated to speed up works as an immediate legislation was not possible because the Assembly was not in session.
The rural water supply department which was the nodal agency was asked to coordinate with roads and buildings and panchayat raj to identify routes for pipelines in a foolproof manner well in advance so that repeated digging of roads was avoided.
The programme will take off in nine districts other than Hyderabad where, however, it will be grounded by stabilising Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs and by different phases of diversion of water from Krishna and Godavari.
The Chief Minister will convene a separate meeting for Hyderabad.
Mr. Rao said the programme was split into 26 segments in the nine districts with 29 sources to draw water.
The irrigation department was asked to give blanket hydraulic clearances and also provide land for construction of electric sub-stations.
The requirement of power was estimated at 187 MW.
