Reservoirs fast drying up?

HYDERABAD: With water levels in Osmansagar and Himayatsagar going down again, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) is likely to curtail drinking water supplies from these century-old reservoirs soon. Currently, HMWS&SB is supplying, on an average, 340-345 Million Gallons of Drinking Water (MGD) per day to the citizens under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.Of this, 23 MGD is supplied from Osmansagar while 17 MGD comes from Himayatsagar and the rest from Singur, Manjeera Krishna Phase-I and and Phase-II.The water available in these two reservoirs will be sufficient for another five to six weeks only. Thereafter, it will hit dead storage level forcing officials to use high pumping power motors to pump water.However, the water quality when drawn from dead storage level may not be fit for consumption. Under such circumstances, the water board will have to divert Krishna or Singur water to areas that are fed by the two reservoirs.This will, in turn, result in water shortage in other areas as 40 MGD of Krishna water has to be diverted. However, speaking to City Express, HMWS&SB officials expressed confidence that the existing water levels in Osmansagar and Himayatsagar will be enough to meet the drinking water needs of people in the Old City, Secretariat, Asifnagar, Red Hills, Mehdipatnam, Puranapul, Nampally, Mallepally and other localities up to May this year.HMWS&SB had suspended drawing water from Osmansagar two years ago when it hit dead storage level. If monsoon plays truant this year, the situation will become worse and the State Government will have to take up alternative measures such as taking up Krishna Phase- III project and complete the Godavari Drinking Water Supply project. Due to 30 per cent deficit rainfall last year, groundwater levels in the city have plummeted and a large number of borewells have dried up. Usually, ground water accounts for about 30 MGD in the city. Stats say it all. On Sunday, the water level at Osmansagar was about 1,772 ft as against its Full Tank Level (FTL) of 1,790 ft.Last year, on the same day, it was 1,788 ft.The water level at Himayatsagar was 1,745 ft on Sunday as against its FTL of 1,763.500 ft.Last year, on the same day, it was 1,761 ft. The total volume of water in these two reservoirs is 6.9 TMC. Right now, it is about 2 TMC.Last year, on the same date, it was more than 6 TMC. Issue likely to rock Assembly The drinking water issue is likely to rock the Assembly during the question hour on Monday. The various political parties have raised a question on the drinking water problem prevailing in Greater Hyderabad.