HYDERABAD: The cherished dream of residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment of a daily water supply through the Angadipet pipeline project seems to be in troubled water with Kukatpally Municipality now having second thoughts of its role in the project.

The Rs.6.6-crore project to bring 15 lakh gallons of water per day (lgpd) from Angadipet reservoir is on paper a `joint venture' of SCB, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), the Military Engineering Services and Kukatpally Municipality through which the pipeline has to reach the Cantonment.

SCB plans

SCB currently requires 50 lgpd, of which HMWSSB supplies around 30 lgpd instead of its agreed supply of 37 lgpd. Once water comes from Angadipet and SCB's age-old pipeline network is rectified by January 2007 as per the original schedule, the supply would be around 45 lgpd. SCB was hoping to make its water supply a daily affair with this instead of the existing once in three or four days supply.

Deadlock situation

However, the project has fallen into a deadlock with Kukatpally Municipality now rethinking its position in the whole affair. Municipality officials are wondering why they should deposit over Rs.1 crore for a project that does not promise the municipality any substantial increase in its water supply.

"Our entire water supply is managed by HMWSSB. And this project is mainly for the Cantonment. When we do not have anything in it for our people, why should we pay such a huge sum?" asks a municipal official.

The SCB and MES had already deposited Rs.1.9 crores each out of their share of Rs.2.72 crores each with the HMWSSB and the SCB doing it on April 21. Kukatpally Municipality meanwhile is yet to shell out its share of Rs.1.1 crores for the project.

Tendering process

This, according to SCB officials has delayed work on the project, which indirectly means that its plans of daily water supply will stretch beyond January 2007.

Cantonment Executive Officer T. Arockianathan said he was planning to meet HMWSSB top officials next week to sort out the issue so that the tendering process could start soon.

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