BJP stages protest at HMWSSB

‘Take up the third phase of Krishna drinking water project as per the master plan’

- PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

End water woes: BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya at the dharna outside HMWSSB office at Ameerpet on Monday.

HYDERABAD: Police took into custody scores of BJP workers and their leaders on Monday after they tried to gatecrash into the office of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) demanding that the government take up the third phase of Krishna drinking water project as per the master plan.

The arrested included State BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya, Himayatnagar MLA G. Kishen Reddy and BJP Greater Hyderabad unit president Chintala Ramachandra Reddy.

Police presence at the Board office in Ameerpet was heavy and the demonstration had a telling impact on the movement of the vehicular traffic on the busy arterial road. The BJP workers raised slogans and jostled with police while trying to prevent the arrests.

Inadequate supply

“While the city’s requirement is 500 mgd water, only 305mgd is supplied from various sources like Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar, Manjeera, Singuru and Krishna phase-I and II,” Mr. Dattatreya told newspersons.

The combined consumption of domestic, commercial and industrial sectors stood at 180-280 litres per head a day, which totals to 500mgd, he explained.

The BJP leaders also criticized the State government for going ahead with Godavari water project while abandoning the third phase of Krishna water project.

“The government has gone ahead with Godavari water project costing Rs. 3,375 crore for just 10 tmcft while ditching third phase of Krishna water project that would have cost just Rs.800 crore for 5.5tmcft,” Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said.

He added that the city also needed Godavari water and said the government should immediately implement Krishna third phase while at the same time expedite works on Godavari water diversion projects.

The BJP leaders also said infrastructure for water distribution for Krishna Phase II was not in place.

Although the main pipeline was built, interior pipelines for distribution, tanks, sumps were not yet constructed.

Although Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy promised daily water supply to all areas in old municipal corporation limits, many areas are still not getting the same, said Mr. Ramachandra Reddy.

He also highlighted how drinking water was supplied to certain areas at unearthly hours - midnight and early hours – inconveniencing housewives, office-goers and the middle class.

The BJP leaders also demanded that water requirements of all areas coming under Greater Hyderabad region including Cantonment be undertaken by HMWSSB. These areas should also be supplied daily water, they urged.

Among their other demands were bill collection of apartment residents according to meter tariffs and complete reduction of reliance on groundwater supply.

Source : The Hindu.