Hyderabad only city with all advantages to expand: KTR

Hyderabad, May 14 (IANS) Telangana's Urban Development, Industries and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday claimed that Hyderabad is the only metro city in India to have all the advantages to expand in all directions.

He said while other cities have several disadvantages and are facing problems due to inadequate infrastructure, Hyderabad has all the natural resources for rapid growth.

With the construction of the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR), he believes Hyderabad can expand to a radius of 100 km.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Hyderabad drinking water supply project in Nalgonda district, KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, claimed after 15 years, Hyderabad may become the second largest city in India after Delhi.

The minister said that the ongoing and planned works will meet the drinking water requirements of Hyderabad for next 50 years.

"We are designing it in such a way that even if there is drought for five consecutive years, Hyderabad does not face drinking water problem," he said.

Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues Mahmood Ali, T. Srinivas Yadav, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Jagdish Reddy, and Srinivas Goud, he launched the construction of Sunkisala intake well to augment supply from Krishna river at a cost of Rs 1,450 crore.

Describing Hyderabad as the fastest developing city in the country, he quoted Chief Minister KCR to say that Hyderabad may be Telangana's capital but it is a national asset.

"Other cities have disadvantages but Hyderabad has only advantages. It has the best climate, best geographical location, land and the infrastructure to expand in all directions. No other city has such advantages," he said.

He pointed out that other cities are facing numerous problems on account of various reasons. "One city gets water through rail tankers, another city can't expand further because it is on the sea coast. There are other cities which face problems of pollution, traffic and electricity shortage."

KTR said Hyderabad also has the advantage of being led by a visionary Chief Minister. During the last eight years, many programmes were undertaken to overcome the problems faced by people for several decades, he said.

He pointed out that Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) is currently undertaking development works worth Rs 6,000 crore.

Hyderabad's current drinking water requirement is 37 TMC and it is estimated to be 71 TMC by 2072. He said the state government has planned to meet not just drinking water needs of Hyderabad for next 50 years but also take care of the requirement for industrial consumption.

He said along with Sunkisala intake well, the government was also undertaking civil works for the fourth and fifth phase of Krishna water project.

In addition to bringing water from Krishna river to Hyderabad, the government is also working on plans to bring Godavari river water to Hyderabad through Kondapochamma Sagar and Mallanna Sagar reservoirs to permanently solve the drinking water problem.

The two reservoirs were built as part of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation scheme, described as the world's biggest lift irrigation project.

KTR said the Kaleshwaram project has brought 65 TMC of Godavari water nearest to the city with the construction of two reservoirs.