The Times of India                       13.03.2013

Three water supply projects to get JICA boost

HYDERABAD: The water woes of residents of Alwal, Uppal and Qutubullapur municipal circles may soon end.

Currently, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) is supplying 20 million gallons (MG) of water to these three circles once in three/four days a week as the groundwater level here has dipped to new lows. In June and September 2010, two fact-finding missions from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had visited 11 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) peripheral circles and conducted a study on water supply position. On their advice, the Water Board had even prepared 'detailed project reports' (DPRs) with a budget proposal of Rs 3,195 crore for implementation of water supply projects in these 11 circles and submitted them to JICA.

"The Water Board had been carrying out correspondence with JICA for the past two years on the issue. However, the proposal was kept in abeyance as the state government had not come forward to provide debt sustainability. The proposal came forth again after a team from JICA visited the city last month and reviewed pending projects," Water Board managing director J Syamala Rao told TOI.

"During the meeting, we explained to the team that the government was keen on providing debt sustainability for the water supply project in peripheral areas. Accordingly, JICA gave in-principle agreement to extend the loan only for three GHMC circles," the MD said.

When contacted, principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) department, B Sam Bob said: "JICA will not accept properties (as collateral). The government has to submit debt sustainability on behalf of the Water Board. As the government is according top priority to drinking water projects, we will soon get the necessary clearances for the proposal."

As per the DPRs, the government might get Rs 1,032 crore loan from JICA - Rs 300 crore for Alwal, Rs 510 crore for Qutubullapur and Rs 222 crore for Uppal - in the first phase. "Once the loan is sanctioned, we will float tenders for taking up the projects," a senior Water Board (projects) official said. If all goes well, the three peripheral GHMC circles would get better water supply by 2014.

The Hindu                        13.03.2013

Individual water connections to more flats on the anvil

G.V. Prasada Sarma 

With improved water availability, the GVMC now plans to cover more flats under individual water connections.

With augmentation of drinking water taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and to meet the objectives of water supply by the urban local body, the GVMC decided to cover 900 flats in the next financial year.

Under the mission, the corporation has spent Rs. 85 crore for drinking water schemes at Gajuwaka and another Rs. 80 crore at Pendurti. The 58.4-km pipeline from Tatipudi reservoir to Town Service Reservoir was replaced at a cost of Rs. 62.3 crore.

Though the corporation can draw 11 mgd, it has been utilising 7 mgd to 8 mgd. Against a total allocation of 72 mgd, only 56 mgd is being drawn.

“Having executed the water supply augmentation works, the GVMC has to utilise the water and also recover the money it has spent. On the other hand, residents living in apartments are using groundwater and in case of its failure, getting water tankers to meet their demand.

They are also buying packaged water,” said a GVMC official. With increased construction and density of population going up, groundwater scarcity has become common.

It has decided to implement the water supply on individual connection basis in new apartments ready to occupy, or on the verge of being completed or just occupied.

The general body, during its term, has resolved that for more than six apartments Rs.5,000 has to be paid for each apartment. The amount the builder has paid towards semi-bulk water supply will be adjusted against the individual payment.