Water grid to dry Andhra Pradesh coffers

Construction of intake points, pumping stations and laying of pipelines from various water sources to cities, towns and villages will cost over Rs 40,000 crore. Sources close to the officials studying and identifying the perennial water sources have estimated that it may cost over Rs 3,000 crore for each of the 13 districts to execute the project.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wants the project to be completed before the TD government completes it first term in office in 2019 and water should be supplied to at least some of the towns and villages in the next two years through the grid.

“Not one, but four to five water grids from various perennial water sources in the vicinity of two to three districts are likely to be set up. The high-level technical committee studying the water sources and the feasibility of the project will submit its report to the government on December 10,” a highly placed source said.

Officials in the cadre of superintending engineers from irrigation, public health, rural water supply and municipal administration, among other departments, are working on rivers, dams, canals and other bodies in which water is available throughout the year.

“There is no point in tapping water from a source that is likely to dry up during summer. The plan is to see the possibility of setting up tapping points from a source to a couple of districts or more, or link the water pipelines at strategic locations,” a senior official said.

The rivers Godavari, Krishna, Penner, Somasila, Kandaleru, Eleru, Nagavalli, Vamsadhara, Sarada, Tungabhadra, Somasila and all canals and dams are being studied to see the possibility of water being supplied through gravity and by pumps, using huge electricity to the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.

Officials said an exclusive water grid corporation will also be set up with its head office either in the new capital city area or Vijayawada.

The AP government has sought to fund at least 50 per cent of the total cost of the project. It will seek the remaining funds from World Bank, Asian Development bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

As much as 155 tmc feet of water is required to cater to the drinking water needs of the 13 districts and also meet the requirements of commercial and industrial consumers in Andhra Pradesh.

The 155 tmc ft of water will be sufficient to meet the water demand of people in the state up to 2044. Of this, 20 tmc would be for industries and 136 for domestic drinking purposes.