Hyderabad water scarcity: CM asks officials to take steps before summer onset

Hyderabad, Feb 24 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to take steps to ensure that Hyderabad does not face water scarcity.

Reddy, who held a meeting with officials on various civic issues concerning Hyderabad Friday night, asked them to prepare plans to supply drinking water from Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma and Ranganayaka Sagar, near Hyderabad, reservoirs to the city.

He instructed them to create clusters of ponds outside the Outer Ring Road (ORR) of Hyderabad.

"The CM directed the officials to prepare plans for the drinking water needs in the next 50 years," an official release said.

Reddy told the officials to submit a detailed report on the availability of costly government lands in Hyderabad.

The release also said foundation stones for new Metro Rail lines will be laid soon.

He instructed the officials to set up a video display board like in New York's Time Square in Hyderabad.

He directed that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) should maintain building permission files transparently.

He observed that permissions were given to the buildings without the 'online process' and that some building permission files went missing.

He directed the officials to prepare a list of building permissions which were given without the online process.

He said vigilance raids would be conducted in HMDA and GHMC limits in 15 days. He warned officials of being shunted out from service if any dereliction of duties was found.

Reddy also questioned officials over the deletion of data of ponds from the website of HMDA. The. data of 3,500 ponds should be online, he said. PTI