Round-the-clock water supply for defence units

HYDERABAD: The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Friday summoned top officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) to explain why water supply to the two prestigious defence organisations, Ordnance Factory Medak (ODM) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), was cut and sought immediate restoration of water supply.

Two days after TOI carried in these columns, the water board’s inability to supply water to the two leading manufacturers of weapons, including battle tanks and missiles, the government intervened following which the water board promised to supply round-the-clock tanker supplies to the two defence units.

The CMO asked the water board officials to submit a detailed report, citing clear reasons for stopping the water to the country’s leading defence organisations and suggest alternatives. “Keeping the necessity of water in view, we have decided to ply as many tankers possible to BDL and OFM round-the-clock. For drinking water, we are plying tankers from Patancheru and for production, raw water will be supplied from the Osamansagar reservoir,” said HMWS&SB chief general manager, D Sudarshan.

The CMO’s intervention comes at a crucial time when the Telangana government is negotiating with the Centre on various issues, including securing the Bison Polo Ground for a new Secreteriat and separate defence land for skyways in the Secunderabad Cantonment.

Highly placed sources in the HMWS&SB confirmed that the CMO has asked the board’s chief Dana Kishore to resolve the water problem at the earliest. On their part, the water board has clearly mentioned about the number of industries, including two defence organisations, breweries, soft drink companies and other firms, asking for water. “Supplying to all of them at far flung areas is having an impact on our revenues too,” a HMWS&SB source said.

Earlier in the day, Shivanand Khanapeth, the general manager, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), had approached the HMWS&SB and explained the problems faced in manufacturing arms and ammunition apart from problems faced by 1,500 people staying in the residential quarters around the unit.

The water board has now decided to supply more water to the defence units, a day after they said they could only supply four tankers. “If necessary, we will divert the tankers from other Operation & Maintenance (O&M) divisions, to meet demand,” a water board official said. The board has also convinced tanker owners to ply additional trips to these two defence organisations, to avoid hassles in production.