HYDERABAD: The protests of the city legislators at the recent meeting of the Hyderabad district review committee on the drinking water crisis appears to have paid off. Following their protests, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has decided to dig fresh power bore wells in all the 15 assembly constituencies in Hyderabad at a cost of Rs 6 crore.

The Water Board has decided to go ahead with the move, perhaps due to the pressure from the elected representatives, despite the fact that the ground water table in Hyderabad heavily discourages digging of borewells. Of the 5,600 hand bore wells in the Greater Hyderabad region, 1,200 have gone kaput as the groundwater levels plummeted. Of the 1,000 power bore wells, 250 are not functional.

In view of the depleting ground water table, it might be necessary to dig around 1,000 feet deeper in some places in order to draw water. At the recent DRC meeting, Hyderabad collector Syed Murtuza Rizvi had said that the authorities might need to dig up to 800 feet in some places to draw water in view of the drinking water crisis.

"The MLAs have been requested to identify about 10 such spots in each of their constituencies where power bore wells will be dug. The Hyderabad Water Board will spend Rs 6 crore for the same. In a day or two, we will invite tenders for digging 150 new power bore wells in the city assembly constituencies," HMWS&SB director of operations P Manohar Babu told TOI.

The new power bore wells should be ready by May first week, the official added.