HYDERABAD: Residents of the State capital and surrounding water-starved municipalities, "where ever water distribution network is in existence," will get daily water supply from April next year.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy made the announcement at a review meeting on the status of various civic amenities in the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and surrounding municipalities on Thursday.

The daily water supply plan was given the green signal following adequate inflows into Singur, the major source of drinking water to the twin cities, and the second phase of the Krishna Drinking Water Supply Project nearing completion, according to officials.

Present situation

At present Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) supplies 220 mgd with Singur supplying 120 mgd, Krishna 70 mgd and Osmansagar, Himayatsagar and Manjira accounting for the rest. With the second phase of Krishna project bringing in another 90 mgd, the daily supply volume could well touch the 300 mgd mark, making daily water supply a distinct possibility, HMWSSB officials said.

While surrounding municipalities like Malkajgiri, Kapra and Uppal get water supply once in three to five days, the city has alternate day supplies barring Adikmet division of HMWSSB where the Water Board is experimenting with round-the-clock supplies. Daily water supply is a step in the direction of round-the-clock supplies, officials said. The Chief Minister also directed Water Board officials to take over water supply distribution in the eight surrounding municipalities in addition to Kukatpally, Qutbullapur, L.B. Nagar and Gaddiannaram municipalities where it already supplies water.

Persistent demand

The decision is the outcome of the persistent demand of residents of these thickly populated municipalities facing shortage of drinking water, Mines Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said. However, HMWSSB officials have been insisting that bridging infrastructure gaps in the distribution network of municipalities and readying it for adequate supplies should precede the handover process.

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