Hyderabad: The nearly Rs 4,000-crore phase-I of the Godavari drinking water project for Greater Hyderabad is about to overcome a major environmental hurdle with the state government giving a green signal to the Water Board to take over 28 acres of forest land in Ranga Reddy district for construction of a master balancing reservoir.

The state forest department has agreed to give away 28 acres of forest land after the Water Board provided it with an equal extent of land in Murmur mandal in Karimnagar.