GVMC mulls pipeline projects to solve water shortage

In order to meet the growing water needs of the city, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is pursuing two pipeline projects. The city, which has a total demand of 76.6 mgd of water including from industrial sources, faces a deficit of 19 mgd. The deficit is expected to touch 39 mgd by 2020. In order to overcome this issue, the civic body proposed laying a 58 km pipeline from Raiwada reservoir to Narava filtration plant at a cost of Rs.350 crore. The project has been approved under the spill over funds of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee. The committee has also sanctioned Rs 290 crore a few months ago. The state government has reportedly scrutinised the detailed project report (DPR) and forwarded it to the Government of India and committed itself to foot the 20 per cent cost as per the JNNURM norms. Under the urban mission norms, 50 per cent is granted by the central government, 20 per cent by the state government and the remaining has to be borne by the urban local body. The corporation also proposed a 153-km Yeleru pipeline running from Yeleru to Kaniti Balancing Reservoir, which requires Rs 1,900 crore investment.