Osmansagar turning a dump for sewage

HYDERABAD: The famous Osmansagar reservoir, which supplies 10 to 15 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to different parts of twin cities, may become another polluted Hussainsagar soon. About a dozen villages falling in the catchment area of the Osmansagar, popularly known as the Gandipet lake, are letting their sewage flow into the reservoir. Villages like Chandanagar, Mohtakpally, Maharajpet, Appajiguda, Janwada and few others are causing water pollution in the 90-year-old lake created by the last Nizam Osman Ali Shah by damming the Musi river. Besides these, a few more habitations are springing up around the catchment area, which would only deteriorate the lake further. None of these habitations have proper sewerage networks or septic tanks. But the problem of rising pollution at Osmansagar is not an overnight development. Minister for marketing M Mukesh Goud and minister for labour Danam Nagender had brought the deteriorating water quality in the reservoir to the notice of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy earlier. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) officials also had underlined the issue in their last board meeting under the chairmanship of the chief minister. The chief minister had directed the officials to ensure that only pure potable water is supplied to people and that the water quality is tested on a daily basis.Speaking to Express, water Board officials admitted the the quality of water in Osmansagar has been deteriorating since the last few years because of large scale habitations coming up around it. There is an urgent need to construct a 205 MLD Water Treatment Plant (WTP) near the reservoir, they said.The Water Board, through NJS Engineers India Pvt Limited, and in joint venture with AECOM India Pvt Ltd and PBS Consultancy Services,  prepared three Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for construction of the treatment plant, Clear Water Reservoir (CWR), Master Balancing Reservoir at Asifnagar Filter Beds and laying of transmission mains for the WTP to join the existing network of Water Board. The cost of the project would be around `100 crore to `125 crore, officials said.Minister for municipal administration and urban development M Maheedhar Reddy, Mukesh Goud, Danam Nagender and other senior officials concerned will study the DPRs over the next few days, take an appropriate decision and submit it to the chief minister for approval.