Water Board to acquire agri land for reservoir

After a gap of two years, construction of a five thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) capacity reservoir at Keshavapuram could finally see some progress. Officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) said that they had secured clearance from the forest department to acquire the required land.

The board has to acquire another 300 acres land to start the construction of the reservoir, which will store water from the Kaleshwaram project to supply to the city.

Water Board authorities said that Medchal-Malkajgiri district revenue officials have been negotiating with farmers to acquire the agricultural land. About two years ago the authorities had assured farmers of `30 lakh per acre. They are negotiating afresh with the farmers who want higher prices, an official said.

Once the farm land is acquired, the board will begin construction of component I of the reservoir. On completion of payment, they would take up works on component II.

The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has cleared the acquisition of 1,o12 acres of forest land. The Centre has only to give final instructions to the state government to release a GO and start the construction.

The Keshavpuram reservoir requires about 3,500 acres. Around 87 per cent of the land belongs to the government, endowments and forest departments while the remaining 13 per cent belongs to farmers.

A senior HMWS&SB official said that revenue authorities should compensate 1,012 acres of forest land with land at different locations as specified by the Centre.