HYDERABAD: With water in the Nagarjunasagar (Krishna) and Yellampally reservoirs (Godavari), the main drinking water sources to the city, reaching alarmingly low levels, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has initiated emergency measures to avert a serious water crisis.
The board has started making emergency pumping arrangements at the Puttamgandi station in Nalgonda by installing 10 emergency pumping motors to draw water from the dead storage level of Nagarjunasagar.
At the Yellampally reservoir, the board has started digging the earth for making an emergency lead channel at Murmur to draw water by gravity up to 137.6 metres. Currently, 86 million gallons of water per day (MGD) is being drawn through gravity up to a level of 138.3 metres.
Through making a lead channel, HMWS&SB can manage to supply water through gravity up to May 18 and after that 10 submersible motor pumps would be installed to draw water if the level falls beyond 137.6 metres up to July 10. From the Yellampally reservoir to the intake channel at Murmur, water is being supplied through gravity. From Murmur, water is supplied to Greater Hyderabad by three-stage pumping.
HMWS&SB officials told Express that at Yellampally, as against the storage capacity of 20.175 tmcft, there is just 3.9 tmcft of water available now.
The situation is no better at Nagarjunasgar. As against the full reservoir level of 590 ft, the present level is 507 ft. In terms of storage, there’s just 120 tmcft as against the capacity of 312.045 tmcft.
If the water level falls below 504 ft, 10 emergency pumping motors will be installed at Puttamgandi to draw water from a depth of up to 496 ft. The installation of motors will be completed by May 10.
If the monsoon gets delayed by a month or two and the water level dips below 496 ft at Nagarjunasagar, HMWS&SB will be forced to go for second-level pumping. For taking up these emergency works, the state government has sanctioned required funds under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF).
About 265 MGD of water is being supplied to the twin cities under Krishna Drinking Water Supply Scheme (KDWS) Phase-1, 2 and 3.
Krishna and Godavari, together, supply 350 MGD of water to Hyderabad and the villages on the way. Four other reservoirs _ Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Singur and Manjira _ which supply about 160 MGD have dried up completely.