300 acres for Godavari Drinking Water Project

HYDERABAD: The forest department has agreed to hand over about 300 acres of forest land to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board for the Godavari Drinking Water Project.For exchange of forest land spread over three districts of Rangareddy, Medak and Karimnagar, the department will get equal revenue land in the districts. Speaking to Express, Water Board officials said nearly 20 to 22 km of pipelines has to be laid through the forest area passing through the above districts. The principal conservator of forest gave written consent for handing over the land a few days ago, according to officials. For exchanging the forest land with revenue lands, it took nearly one year for HMWS SB and the three district collectors of Rangareddy, Medak and Karimnagar to identify the revenue lands. Out of the 2,000 acres of land required, the Water Board has acquired about 1,600 acres including the forest lands. For the remaining 300 acres, the district collectors have been asked to speed up the land acquisition process.It can be recalled that HUDCO agreed to provide Rs 1,000 crore loan to the Godavari Drinking Water Project PhaseI to be built at a cost of Rs 3,375 crore. The project was taken up with initial budgetary support of the state government and accordingly all agencies commenced works in December 2008. So far Rs 1,300 crore has been spent on the works.Out of the total 186 km length, pipelines have been laid for 50 km. Of the remaining 136 km, 116 km passes through revenue lands while another 20 km through forests and officials have asked agencies to speed up the works after the land acquisition is completed.