Municipal Administration Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, on Friday, stated that the government would take necessary steps to meet the shortage of drinking water in the city.
Talking to media persons after emerging out of review meeting convened under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Rosaiah at the Secretariat over the situation of drinking water in the city, Minister for Municipal Administration Ramnayarayan Reddy said that the Chief Minister had directed the officials to make complete efforts to solve the drinking water problem in the city limits.
Reddy said that the HMWSSB officials were supplying 335 million gallons per day to meet the drinking water needs of 78 lakhs people.
However, the city needed 430 MGD of water to meet drinking water needs of 87 lakh population during 2011, Ramnayarayan stated.
Reddy pointed out that though the city has 38.771 TMC reserve water, the government lacked the capacity to distribute water to all areas by 2011.
The Municipal Administration Minister said the city needed 650 Mgd by 2031 to meet the estimated Rs. 1 crore 30 lakh population.
Reddy stated that the Chief Minister had directed the officials to improve the water distribution network by taking assistance from the National River Conservation Directorate.
Reddy said that the government would recruit 250 engineers in the water distribution network to meet the shortage of staff.
Reacting to the illegal tap connections, the Minister said that the department would appoint vigilance squad headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police level officers to streamline the connections. The squad consists of 5 CIs, 15 constables and 50 home guards.
The Minister revealed that the government would regularise the services of 260 NRMs, who completed service of 5 years, in the Municipal department, under GO 212.
Reddy said that the government had taken a decision to regularise illegal water connections by Sept 30th in the city and called on the people to utilise the opportunity by submitting applications to the department.