A Tall Drink of Water!

The 66-ft majestic water grid pylon in Nalgonda district will create awareness about the Telangana government´s project to address the state´s water woes. A unique structure has put Choutuppal mandal in Nalgonda, Telangana, on the tall-building map - the recently commissioned water grid pylon in the district stands tall at 66 ft. Water for all A pylon, by definition, is a pillar or tower-like structure. And, this water grid pylon, 66 ft in height and 72 ft in width, has been constructed to create awareness about the Telangana Government´s Rs 27,000-crore water grid project that will address the drinking water woes of the state. ¨The intent is to provide safe drinking water to every household,¨ states D Venkateshwarlu, Executive Engineer, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Division-I, Nalgonda District, Telangana. Excessive fluoride makes water in Nalgonda district hazardous for drinking. The water project aims to provide 100 litre to each household in villages and 150 litre to every house in cities and towns. It will cover 25,000 villages and 67 towns, drawing 34,000 million cu ft and 21,000 million cu ft water respectively from the rivers Godavari and Krishna. The construction The tall height of the pylon has been achieved within a record time of 35 days. ¨We started laying the concrete on December 22, 2014, and completed it on January 25 this year,¨ shares Venkateshwarlu. Built at a cost of Rs 195 lakh on 1.7 acre, the construction consists of six parts: Pylon, ornamental structure, retaining wall, front side (north) compound wall, west side compound wall and external development (landscaping, pylon approach pathway and all-round pathway). The height of the pylon from the platform created is 66 ft; while measuring from the ground, it is 71 ft. ¨The ornamental structure and this kind of height for such a structure is rare,¨ he adds. As for the contract, ¨The government has given the permission to the contractor, BVR Projects from Hyderabad.¨ The attractions The pylon has been constructed using RCC; the pillar is surrounded by an ornamental structure: statues of ´Bathukammas´ on all sides. ¨Within the ornamental structure, we have made a fountain arrangement,¨ Venkateshwarlu tells us. ¨The ornamental structure is 36 ft and the platform is 72 ft; it has a granite covered walking space. Landscaping occupies 50,000 ft. We have made pathways and steps to approach the platform from all four sides.¨ At the ground level, the pylon is 6 ft in diameter. From there, its diameter reduces by 1 ft for every 9 ft in height. The diameter of the complete structure comes down to 2 ft at the top. ¨There are 10 fins all round the pylon in tapering portion; its bottom is 5 ft in width while the thickness is 6 inch. It goes up to the top where its width is 1 ft and the thickness is 6 inch. In addition, we have provided an ornamental structure of 36 ft in diameter. We have composed a tentagon - the centre point of the pylon to the edge of the tentagon is an 18-ft radius. We have also provided a 30-inch railing around the pylon.¨ Now, that´s what you call making a statement with a structure! Project details Client: Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Division, Government of Telangana. Tel: 040-2339 6655. Website: www.rwss.telangana.nic.in Area: 1.7 acre Cost: `195 lakh Commencement: December 22, 2014 Completion: January 2015 Architect: Krishnan, New Terrain Architect Contractor: BVR Projects, Kukatpally, Hyderabad To share a landmark project with us, write in at feedback@ASAPPmedia.com