Hyderabad Water Board seeks ₹9,000 crore for new projects
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has pinned its hopes on the upcoming state budget and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) budget to address its mounting financial stress. Facing an annual gap of over ₹1,600 crore between revenue and expenditure, the Water Board has sought dedicated allocations from both the state government and GHMC.
With the city’s rapid expansion, the scope of services to be delivered by the Water Board has widened significantly. It has proposed several new projects to augment drinking water supply, sewerage management and related infrastructure. As the Board is unable to raise funds on its own, it has submitted proposals to the municipal administration department and GHMC seeking budgetary support.
₹9,000 crore new projects proposed
The Water Board plans to take up new projects worth ₹9,000 crore this year. A major proposal is the ₹8,000 crore radial ring main project, along with feeder pipelines, to ensure uninterrupted water supply across all parts of the city. It has also prepared estimates of ₹722 crore for a new Manjeera pipeline and ₹282 crore for laying a new pipeline in place of the existing Osmansagar conduit. These three projects alone account for the entire ₹9,000 crore outlay.
In addition, the Board is working on a comprehensive master plan to strengthen the city’s sewerage system. The sewerage master plan, approved in 2018, had pegged the cost at ₹17,000 crore. Officials said that, given the city’s subsequent expansion, a revised plan would require substantially higher funding. They underlined that progress would be impossible without support from the state government and GHMC, and have sought allocations in the state budget for the proposed projects.
Pending dues from GHMC
The Water Board has also urged GHMC to clear pending dues and make annual budgetary provisions for it. It said GHMC owes the Board ₹654 crore and requested immediate release of the amount, along with regular allocations in future budgets.
