₹725-crore project to begin in October; 2.5 lakh people to benefit in first phase
For residents of Madhurawada, where several apartment complexes receive municipal water only once every two or three days and increasingly depend on tankers, relief could be in sight.
Work on a ₹725.18-crore project to provide round-the-clock Godavari water to Visakhapatnam’s fast-growing northern corridor is expected to begin in October, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) said.
Tenders for the project have been opened. It aims to meet the sharply rising water demand in Madhurawada and surrounding areas, which have seen a boom in high-rise apartments, IT companies and commercial establishments. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently laid the foundation stone.
Under the scheme, a new pipeline network will carry water from Yeleru to KBR through Meghadrigedda and Pendurthi before feeding the Mudasarlova reservoir. The network is also expected to reduce dependence on the Gosthani river, an important source for the region.
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said civil works are likely to start in October. The project has an 18-month execution schedule, with commercial operations targeted for April 2029.
The first phase will serve a population of 2.5 lakh and include a 65 MLD water treatment plant, 417 km of distribution pipelines, 7,900 KL of storage and 37,407 smart meter connections.
Taken up under the Centre’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), the project will be financed through a 25% UCF grant, a 25% GVMC contribution and a 50% term loan. The system will use SCADA, GIS mapping, and district metered areas to monitor and manage supply.
Madhurawada’s rapid urbanisation has put growing pressure on existing water sources, with apartment communities and businesses turning to private tankers whenever municipal supplies fall short.
For a corridor that has emerged as one of Visakhapatnam’s biggest residential and commercial growth centres, the project is expected to address a pressing infrastructure gap: a dependable water supply.