Hyderabad: Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that the government had sanctioned Rs 5,066 crore at one go for setting up 31 sewerage treatment plants (STPs) in the city and ramp up drinking water supply on the outskirts.
Rama Rao told the media that this is the highest amount ever sanctioned to the city, and thanked Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for releasing government orders immediately in this regard.
While Rs 3,866 crore was sanctioned to build STPs, Rs 1,200 crore was sanctioned for improving drinking water supply to the urban local bodies and gram panchayats surrounding Hyderabad.
Rama Rao stated that the work will be completed in two years and meet the city’s needs for 10 to 15 years.
"Once completed, Hyderabad will become the only city in the country to have a capacity to treat 100 per cent sewerage water. At present, the city has STPs to treat 772 MLDs (million litres a day) which accounts for just 46.75 per cent of total sewerage water produced. The new STPs will create additional capacity to treat 1,260 MLDs," Rama Rao said.
He said the STPs will be constructed in hybrid annuity model on the lines of the National Highways Authority of India constructing national highways. The companies which set up the STPs will maintain them for for 15 years. The government will contribute 40 per cent of funds while the rest will be mobilised through loans.
Referring to Rs 1,200 crore sanctioned for the drinking water project for areas outside ORR, Rama Rao said this included construction of 137 MLC capacity reservoirs and laying of addional drinking water pipelines over 2,100 kilometres.
“More than 20 lakh people in urban local bodies and gram panchayats surrounding Hyderabad will be benefited. Two lakh new water connections will be given in these areas which itself will be a record of sorts and a big relief to people who are facing drinking water issues for long,” he said.
Reiterating that the government is committed to clearing nala encroachments to avoid flooding, the minister said the government had plans to bring legislation to clear encroachments on nalas, lakes and water bodies.
"We will soon hold a meeting with elected representatives to take their help. After monsoon, we want to take up a special drive to clear encroachments," Rama Rao said. The government is willing to rehabilitate affected people by allotting 2BHK houses, he added.
Rama Rao reiterated his support to merge the SCB with the GHMC, stating that the government is not able to lay roads, flyovers, skyways etc due to restrictions imposed by the Local Military Authority while people residing in these areas are facing severe hardships due to abrupt closure of roads under SCB limits. He claimed that majority of the people in Hyderabad are in favour of GHMC-SCB merger.
Rama Rao refused to comment on the long-pending GHMC standing committee issue, saying that it’s a small operational matter which would be sorted out soon. As per norms, the standing committee has to be set up within three months but it’s been pending for seven.
