Water Grid Projects of Telangana

The Telangana Government is contemplating two major projects - establishing a “Water Grid” to supply domestic and drinking water through pipe and taps for each household and a projectto restore village tank systems toimprove water availability for agriculture and domestic purpose. These two projects are of utmostimportantfor human development and growth of agriculture sector.The public spending on these two projects are reported to be more than Rs 50,000 cr.

These projects if designed and implemented properly will immensely benefit the people of Telangana. It is about how to implement them in cost effective and timely manner without further causing social tensions and ecological degradation. A wider public debate about these projects- technical, social and economics will help the Government of Telangana in proper designing, implementation and also reducing the costs of these projects.

This article will look at the water grid project as is being reported in the press and suggests a process to design it better so that People of Telangana can benefit from it.

Project: “Water Grid”

Very little information is in the public domain perhaps those details might emerge later. However, rural water supply schemes are not new to Independent India. The evolution of source of drinking water from Panchayat raj wells, mark-I, Mark-II hand pumps, taps to purified water seem to be the logical development reflecting the aspirations of the people. It is important to look at the previous initiatives and incorporate some of the lessons into this project.

Clarity on purpose and scope of “water grid”

• Can piped water be source of drinking in 2025? Already more than 50% rural people in Telangana are reported to be drinking water from purified sources. Cans, RO plants are common site in many villages these days. So in that case the water grid when and how it is completed will not supply water for drinking. So the question is will GoT really need to invest so much money and effort when people any way not going to drink from the taps?
• Is it Grid, or Grid like thing? This is another aspectwhich requires clarity. If it is “water Grid” then it connects with all the rural water supply with one or two major supply routes with multiple distribution points. This raises enormous challenges in availability of water quantity and its quality in addition to engineering aspects. If the the source of water multiple - ground water and some surface water and put into the Grid and then drawn from various points into small pipes for distributing to communities and are connected to one Grid, then the challenges areeven more. GoT need to have basic clarity on what exactly is this Grid and how it connects or inter-connects with each other.
• Sources and quality- Surface or ground water or both? This is another aspects requires clarity. If it is surface, the Grid and its structure will have to be radically different. Again surface, if water is drawn from rivers and existing dams, the pipe line will have to be different. If it is ground water based or included than it will have to be even more complicated. In addition to other challenges like costs and engineering aspects to store, lift, transport how can quality aspects be addressed?
• Is this entirely new or connects the existing infrastructure: If Water Grid is about bringing water in large pipes and supply with existing systems in rural Telangana then design and operation will significantly different. If it is new what happens to existing systems? But if they are interconnecting, how the management and operational issues will be addressed?
• Cost and benefit: “How Much” this system is going to cost. Often such projects far exceed money several folds than estimated and also lead to delay going to decades. May be GoT might estimate the costs more accurately taking the future situation of cost escalations and also will implement it in time. Even then it is important to articulate the a) cost of delivering water to each person b) cost of per unit of water c) O&M costs in future, how will that be met d) cost of water treatment and disposal per unit of water e) what happens to the swage generated in the villages due to water use for sanitation, etc.

It is very important to emphasise here that, these aspects are being raised only to strengthen and make this project more acceptable and viable. No one is questioning the need for universal safe and adequate domestic and drinking water system to serve Telangana people. Keeping in view of the scanty and rather sketchy information available on this water grid, in the public domain, the following points are suggested.

1. Status of Domestic and Drinking water infrastructure today: A quick and detailed report on existing facilities may be made as first and important step. This report may include the following a) current coverage according to 120 lpd norm b) existing treated drinking water facilities and their distribution and reach out c) existing public and private investments and their efficiency d) existing tap water systems in localised way and their effectiveness e) some of the local water grids if they exist and their reach out f) current supply and demand of purified water. This can be done in month’s time and then “water Grid” can be designed with priority of reaching the unreached first and strengthening and expanding existing systems to get quick results.

2. Start a Pilotproject: Since it is most likely will take time to design, approval and implementation, a pilot in each district may be started which can later be connected with “Water Grid”.

3. Pipe water for domestic and purified for drinking: As mentioned before more than 50% of rural people already seem to be drinking purified water supplied through cans. Some of them are delivering at the door for relatively small price. This will be the future direction of drinking as it happened in cities and towns and is already happening in our villages... People may not drink the drinking water supplied from the grid. GoT may want to streamline and strengthen the existing systems and establish regulatory frame work to assure quality, safety and affordability.

GoT should embark of clear and transparent process before starting this project. Wider public debate and consultations at this stage will help GoT in designing and implementing better. As on today, there are many questions about this project which needs to be debated. And such debate is in the interest of GoT and people at large.

(Dr. Biksham Gujja is an International water management expert worked with WWF-International, ICRISAT and UN; email:[email protected])

By Dr Biksham Gujja