Hyderabad, Warangal get Rs 3,892-crore urban infrastructure boost from Centre

The Union government has approved five urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,892.38 crore in Telangana under the Urban Challenge Fund, with central assistance of Rs 873.49 crore for initiatives covering drinking water, stormwater drainage, urban redevelopment and heritage conservation.

The approvals were granted at the fourth meeting of the National Apex Committee under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Tuesday, November 3.

The largest project is Phase II and III of the Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project for Hyderabad, estimated to cost Rs 1,992 crore. It will receive central assistance of Rs 398.40 crore.

The project, being implemented by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), involves laying approximately 120 km of transmission pipelines, constructing two water treatment plants with capacities of 120 million litres per day (MLD) and 70 MLD, and creating 102.5 million litres of storage capacity, reported The New Indian Express.

Together with Phase I, the project is expected to augment Hyderabad’s water supply by 20 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) and serve approximately 174 lakh people across the 2,053 sq km Core Urban Region by 2035.

The coverage will include 27 urban local bodies recently merged around the Outer Ring Road. The project is targeted for completion by December 2027.

The HMWS&SB informed the committee that two of Hyderabad’s less reliable water sources, Singur and Manjira, are expected to dry up by the end of December, highlighting the need to strengthen the city’s supply infrastructure.

The second major approval is the Rs 1,465-crore comprehensive stormwater drainage project for Greater Warangal. It will receive central assistance of Rs 366.25 crore and aims to address 24 chronic flooding locations across 407.70 sq km.

The project includes new drainage infrastructure, rejuvenation of 10 major water bodies and improvements to nearly 100 km of major drainage channels.

The other three projects are the restoration and development of the Warangal Fort moat, estimated at Rs 209.08 crore, the Hanamkonda Central Business District (CBD) development project costing Rs 168.80 crore, and an integrated heritage and tourism development project at Alampur estimated at Rs 57.50 crore.

The Hanamkonda project includes an integrated bus terminal-cum-commercial complex, multi-level parking facilities, improvements to streets around the Bhadrakali temple and the Thousand Pillar Temple, and redevelopment of the Central Plaza.

The Warangal Fort project will include restoration of the historic Kakatiya-era moat, along with promenades, bridges, viewing decks and landscaped spaces.

The Alampur project will focus on heritage conservation, tourism infrastructure and urban regeneration.

The approvals are expected to strengthen Telangana’s urban infrastructure, particularly in Hyderabad and Warangal, where population growth and increasing infrastructure requirements have placed pressure on existing civic services.