HYDERABAD: As the water levels of Nagarjuna Sagar dam come dangerously close to the minimum draw down level, preparations for emergency pumping have begun. For this purpose, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has initiated measures to install as many as 10 emergency pumps to draw water from the dead storage levels of Nagarjuna Sagar soon.
It may be noted that the Nagarjuna Sagar is one of Greater Hyderabad’s main drinking water resources.
Five pump motors of 600 HP (drawing 120 cusecs each) and five others of 300 HP (drawing 60 cusecs each) would be installed for the same. As against the full reservoir level of 590 feet with 312.045 TMC capacity of water on Sunday, the present FRL level is 512.80 feet with availability of 136.473 TMC of water.
About 470 million gallons of water per day (MGD) are supplied to Hyderabad from four drinking water sources while about 270 MGD is supplied from Nagarjuna Sagar alone through the Krishna Drinking Water Supply Scheme (KDWS). While 172 MGD is supplied from Yellampally Barrage (Godavari), 20 MGD and 8 MGD are drawn from the Osmansagar and the Himayatsagar respectively.
The Telangana State’s Irrigation and Command Area Development (I&CAD) department has permitted HMWS&SB to install emergency pumps if the water level is to fall below 510 feet. The water board will invite tenders for installing emergency pumping motors. The entire process would take more than a month’s time.
The exercise is done to meet the exigencies of drinking water requirements of GHMC in the event of delay in the onset of monsoon or lack of inflows in the Krishna basin.The water board has sanctioned `2.80 crore for making all the necessary arrangements for the emergency pumping. It will also make emergency pumping arrangements at Puttamgandi pumping station in Nalgonda district by installing pumping motors.
The HMWS&SB has also been writing letters requesting I&CAD department to maintain the MDDL of 510 plus feet so as to supply sufficient drinking water to the Greater Hyderabad limits and enroute villages till the arrival of monsoon this year.