Hyderabad: Two 10 TMC reservoirs that were to be constructed at Keshavapuram and Develamma Nagaram have seen no progress in the five years since the announcement was made.
Though the water board has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the Keshavapuram reservoir in Shamirpet mandal, not even the land acquisition process has been completed yet.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&B), which is the implementing agency, has not even prepared designs for the proposed 10 TMC reservoir at Devalamma Nagaram in Choutuppal mandal, which is meant to serve the drinking water needs of Hyderabad.
Water board officials claim that they would would require Rs 850 crore immediately to pay compensation to property owners who have been displaced, and complete the land acquisition process. However, only Rs 380 crore has been allocated for the same.
The board officials also said it cannot complete the construction of the water treatment plant at Bommarasipeta, though the water board completed the tender process on February 3, 2018.
The delay in land acquisition has badly hit the progress of the Keshavapuram reservoir.
According to highly-placed sources, the state government has chosen the design by WAPCOS Ltd for Keshavapuram and accorded administrative sanction of Rs 4,777.59 crore for implementation of the project in October 2017, through GO No 273.
The board invited tenders for the project and finalised them in February last year. The government issued GO 37, dated February 3, 2018, in which it claimed that the successful agency and permitted HMWS&B to issue a letter of award, and conclude the agreement with annual payment schedules at the approved rate of interest in the hybrid annuity mode. Sources said that due to the apathy of the water board officials, the land acquisition process has not been completed in the four years since the Keshavapuram reservoir was announced, and not even the design for the Devalamma Nagaram reservoir has been finalised.
During a review meeting held by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao earlier this week, he took officials to task and told them to expedite the land acquisition process and construct a water treatment plant at Bommarasipeta.
A senior water board official said that the HMWS&B has already taken possession of 1,585 acres of government land, patta lands worth Rs 288 crore, and endowments land worth Rs 111 crore after paying compensation to those concerned.
He said the board has to acquire about 530 acres from private owners and has to get clearance from the forest and other departments.
The official said that the board has been negotiating with the property owners, but it will take time. However, spurred on by the CM’s instructions, the board would also prepare the designs for the water treatment plant at Bommarasipeta simultaneously, the official said.
