Congress government cancels Keshavpuram project, shifts focus to Godavari Phase-II

While the State government’s decision is being touted as a move towards cost-saving, it has raised several concerns among water supply experts, environmentalists, and residents alike.

Hyderabad: In a significant policy shift, the State government has cancelled the Keshavpuram reservoir project, a key component of the city’s long-term water security strategy. The project, which was initially launched during the previous regime, was intended to provide 10 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of drinking water to Hyderabad from the Godavari river.

The government has now opted to move forward with the Godavari drinking water supply project phase-II instead, with the approval of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) to proceed with tenders for the new initiative. While the State government’s decision is being touted as a move towards cost-saving, it has raised several concerns among water supply experts, environmentalists, and residents alike.

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The shift in focus to Phase-II of the Godavari project could have an adverse impact, potentially delaying much-needed water supply relief to Hyderabad, raising environmental concerns, and disrupting the city’s existing water infrastructure. The cancellation of the Keshavpuram project, which was supposed to provide a substantial 10 TMC of water to Hyderabad, is expected to delay the much-needed relief from the city’s growing water scarcity issues.

The new plan, which involves constructing a redesigned reservoir at Keshavapuram and expanding the water sourcing from Kondapochammasagar, may take longer to implement and integrate into the city’s existing water supply infrastructure. This delay could extend the timeline for providing consistent and reliable drinking water to the rapidly growing population of Hyderabad.

The State government claims that the cancellation of the Keshavpuram project will save Rs 2,000 crore. However, critics warn that the revised Godavari Phase-II plan may face new challenges, such as land acquisition issues, environmental clearances, and technical hurdles. There is concern that, like many large-scale infrastructure projects, the re-tendering and construction process could experience significant delays and budget overruns.

The revised plan involves drawing an additional 10 TMC of water from Konda Pochammasagar, along with setting up a new Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Ghanpur. While this approach aims to reduce operational costs by using gravity-based pumping systems, it also raises significant environmental concerns. Experts fear that the increased water extraction from Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs, both of which are already under stress, could add considerably to environmental degradation.