Hyderabad:
As part of a special 90-day drive to prevent sewage overflow, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is working hard to fix sewage issues in the city. On Thursday, Managing Director Ashok Reddy inspected some of the work being done in areas under Operation and Maintenance Division No 5.
During his visit, Ashok Reddy checked the de-silting and tunnelling work in the Barkatpura and Bagh Lingampally areas. He also visited King Koti and Kachiguda to see the progress of the sewerage tunnelling there. After his inspection, he instructed the teams to speed up the work and complete it as soon as possible. He suggested that if needed, workers should operate in two shifts to meet the target of finishing the work by December.
The managing director emphasized the importance of safety while carrying out the tunnelling work. In all, the tunnelling efforts cover about 200 meters each in King Koti, Kachiguda, and Bashirbagh.
HMWSSB officials pointed out that earlier mistakes in manhole construction were causing some of the current sewage problems. When constructing new roads, manholes were built parallel to the road without proper precautions. Cement bricks were used to increase their height, but the plastering was not finished. This led to gravel and sand entering the manholes, causing blockages.
The ongoing pipeline project, which stretches from GHMC headquarters to Nimboliadda and Amberpet, aims to fix these issues. Because of traffic congestion in these areas, the pipeline is being constructed through underground tunnelling. This project started in 2007, and so far, 4.4 kilometers of the pipeline have been completed.
However, the project has faced delays due to the discovery of floating bedrock underground, which makes tunnelling difficult. Once the remaining 0.6 kilometers of the pipeline is finished, it will help divert sewage from areas such as Raj Bhavan, Abids, Himayat Sagar, and Bagh Lingampally. This will also help prevent sewage from overflowing onto the streets and is expected to reduce the number of sewage complaints received by the city’s Municipal Corporation.
