KCR promises 1,000 crore for Old City

Hyderabad, April 16 (INN): Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has announced that infrastructure works at a cost of Rs 1000 Crore would be taken up in the Old City of Hyderabad and said he himself would launch the works very soon and they would be completed on a war footing.

The Chief Minister has made it clear that the old city would be made flood resistant, free from drainage water flowing on the roads, without any drinking water problem, free from power problems and without any traffic problems. A comprehensive plan would be put in pace in this regard.

KCR has instructed officials concerned to prepare the plan to find out a permanent solution in the old city. He said he would visit the old city before the beginning of month of Ramzaan and would announce the action plan. He has instructed that under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary the works in the old city should be reviewed twice a month to take stock of the situation. Besides the infrastructure development works, the CM instructed that works pertaining to beautification and purification of the Musi River to be taken at a cost of Rs 1600 Crore and Rs 1200 Crore metro rail works also should be completed on a fast track.

The CM held a detailed review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Monday on power, drinking water, sewerage, Pipes and SRDP works in the old city.

Ministers KT Rama Rao and Indrakaran Reddy, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, DGP Mahender Reddy, GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy, HMWSS MD Dana Kishore, Senior officials S Narsing Rao, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Vakati Karuna, Arvind Kumar, Hyderabad Collector Yogita, CMO Officials Bhoopal Reddy, Smita Sabharwal and others attended.

The CM said that under the united AP rule, the old city of Hyderabad was neglected and no infrastructure facilities were ever created. He said he had been hearing for 30 years that in the old city, there was a problem of drinking water, poor power supply, narrow roads and sewerage and drain water flows on the roads. He said this situation couldn't be continued even when Telangana state was formed and asked the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive plan for the creation of infrastructure facilities in the old city.

'Put a full stop to all the power supply related problems in the old city. We have decided to create five new 33/11 KV Sub stations for the supply of quality power. Take measures to acquire the land for the purpose and start construction work. Keep rolling stock ready based on the number of transformers. Whenever there is a problem, change the transformer immediately. Create workshop for transformers in the old city. Take up all these works immediately. Very soon festivals like Ramzaan, Ganesh Chaturthi and Bonalu coming up. There will be more power consumption during these festivals. Electricity department should prepare itself for this. The government will bear all the costs for bettering the power set up in the old city,' the CM assured.

'Take permanent measures to mitigate the drinking water problem in the old city and don't bother about the costs. Every Mohalla and every house should get the drinking water. Set up reservoirs for drinking water (GLBR) at seven places in the old city. The existing pipelines were laid during the Nizam's period when Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was the chief minister. Change them with the new ones,' the CM instructed.

'During the rains, roads and dwellings are flooded with water. Make old city as flood free region. When it rains the water should flow through the pipes. Take up modernization of the pipelines and cleaning up and widening of drains at a cost of Rs 200 Crore. Create such a facility that even when there are heavy rains, old city should not be flooded,' the CM said.

'Since the drainage system is not proper, the drain water is entering the houses and residential areas. This situation should change. Take up sewerage works in the old city. Repair drains cent percent. Ensure the no drain water is over flowed,' the CM explained.

'Take up on a war footing the works pertaining to the Strategic Road Development Programme launched in the old city too and construct three new bridges,' the CM said.

It was primarily estimated that these five programmes would required Rs 1000 Crore fund. The CM said the funds would arrange very soon and wanted works to begin at the earliest. He said that he would visit the old city before the month of Ramzaan and would lay foundation stones for the sub stations, drinking water reservoirs.

'There is a good response to the Mohalla Clinics started in the city recently. Such clinics should be opened at 200 places in the city. Take measures to ensure that equipment is there in these clinics for the medical tests. Dialysis centres should be opened at several places in the City,' the CM instructed medical and health Minister Laxma Reddy.

'Hyderabad city is like a heart to the Telangana region. No problem should be there for drinking water. Prepare alternative arrangements for the supply of drinking water in case of any problem. As on date, from Krishna 16.5 TMC of water in three phases and 10 TMC of water from Godavari would be supplied. Singur, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar are there as alternative sources. We are constructing Kesavapuram reservoir with 10 TMC capacities as part of the Kaleswaram project for the drinking water purposes of Hyderabad. Besides this, create smaller reservoir around the ORR and store water,' the CM said.