Project to provide water to peripheral colonies

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation seems to have put a break on implementation of the Total Infrastructure Project of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.The new project proposed to provide water supply and sewerage facilities for new colonies on the city outskirts, with 30 per cent of funds from the residents associations. For the remaining 70 percent, the previous GHMC commissioner Sameer Sharma had agreed to provide `200 crore. But the new commissioner MT Krishna Babu has decided they would not release any funds, putting the project in jeopardy. The scheme was to be grounded in August.The GHMC reasoning is that since the Water Board is likely to receive funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, they could use those funds for taking up the project.Meanwhile, HMWS&SB officials said they have not received any communication from the GHMC in this regard. On request from the civic body, the Board also agreed to lay water supply lines in a phased manner and even invited expression of interest from the consultants.  They added that based on assurance given by the GHMC, they had identified as many as 800 new colonies, where there is a need to create water supply and sewerage infrastructure. "We have already started dialogue with members of residential welfare associations and around 20 to 30 colonies have come forward to contribute their share. If the GHMC fails to release its promised amount, the scheme has to be either put on hold or be shelved," officials said.