Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday directed officials to take all necessary measures to ensure that Hyderabad faces no drinking water shortages under any circumstances, amid concerns over deficient rainfall due to the El Niño effect.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to remain vigilant about drinking water supply and continuously monitor water storage levels in reservoirs to meet the city's present and future requirements.
Revanth Reddy held a review meeting at the MCR HRD Institute's Bhoomi Pavilion on water supply, the construction and operation of sewage treatment plants (STPs), and the utilisation of treated water within the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) limits.
In view of the severe rainfall deficit caused by the El Niño effect, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that all STPs within the CURE limits operate at 100 per cent capacity to meet future water requirements.
He instructed officials to use treated water for maintaining greenery at the Secretariat, Chief Minister's Office (CMO), along the Outer Ring Road, Metro Rail corridors and other government offices. He also directed that treated water be utilised for maintaining public parks and cleaning roads.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the rule mandating the exclusive use of treated water for building construction must be strictly enforced. He also directed officials to encourage the establishment of private STPs and ensure the supply of treated water to data centres.
Revanth Reddy asked senior officials of the Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation (REDCO) to explore the feasibility of using solar power to operate STPs.
Stressing the importance of water quality, he directed officials to adopt the latest technologies for sewage treatment and ensure that there was no compromise on purification standards.
He instructed officials to appoint a special officer at every water treatment plant and connect all plants to the Command Control Centre for continuous monitoring of their operations.
The Chief Minister also called for the establishment of a tracking system for tankers transporting treated water and directed officials to create awareness among the public about its benefits and usage.
He further instructed officials to establish a dedicated toll-free number for treated water services and take steps to implement the directions concerning STP operations and treated water utilisation from November 1.
During the meeting, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) officials informed the Chief Minister that treated water from 26 STPs was currently being supplied through Green Water Tanker vehicles.
They explained that treated water was being provided free of cost, with consumers required to pay only transportation charges.