Hyderabad outskirts cry for water

GHMC action plan goes for a toss

​Hyderabad: Peripheral municipalities in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) are in for acute water crisis as the civic body's summer contingency plan just remained on paper.

The GHMC action plan included providing bulk water supply, repairing bore wells, flushing of bore wells; but the works are yet to be grounded. Several works were under tender process and some of them were waiting for administrative sanction.

The GHMC has been looking after the drinking water needs of residents living in 12 peripheral circles since the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has water supply network in the core only. Even though the water board has been laying fresh pipelines the water supply would begin only after the summer.

According to a GHMC official, the civic body has proposed 122 works with an estimated cost of Rs 9.58 crore. He said the GHMC has also earmarked Rs 52.86 lakh for flushing of bore wells, Rs 5.10 crore for repairing 70 bore wells, Rs 5.71 crore for regular water tankers and Rs 92.74 lakh for additional tanker as part of summer action plan.

He said that the summer action plan works have been divided into several packages. He said that each package consists of G 1 line repairs, repairs of power bores and hand bores. Out of a total of 98.42 lakh sanctioned, he said Rs 61.39 lakh were for repairing power bores and hand bores and Rs 35.02 lakh were for GI line repairs.

When asked about it, a senior GHMC official told The Hans India that the civic body has recalled tenders for flushing of bore wells. He said that several files have been already submitted for administrative sanction.

He said that about 90 per cent of works were under tender process. He said out 3,120 power bore wells, 2,469 have been working and out 2,909 hand bores 1,777 have been working.

When asked about the delay in implementing the summer action plan, he said that the GHMC has already made alternative arrangements and ensured that the action plan would be implemented by next week.

However, sources in the GHMC claimed that the tender process would be completed by April end and action plan would be implemented during May first week. He said the residents in the peripheral circles have no choice but to suffer until the summer action plan was implemented.