SANGAREDDY: In what is the first time since the Singur project became functional in 1998, all the water pumps at the reservoir site were unplugged this year after only sand has been left in the reservoir.
Known for its purity and taste, the Singur water caters to the twin cities of erstwhile Medak and also erstwhile Nizamabad.
Officials say that the State government’s shortsighted decision of releasing 15 tmcft water from the project to Karimnagar district was the reason Singur came to a standstill.
In addition, the delayed monsoon and drought made the problem even more severe.
Speaking to Express, executive engineer of Sangareddy’s Mission Bhagiratha unit, K Raghuveer said, water levels in Singur had touched dead storage and project had dried up completely.
He further added that the project could regain its supply only if there were good rains this year.
It was in June last year, two heavy filter beds were constructed at the Singur project under the Mission Bhagiratha project for the supply of clean drinking water.
After trial runs in the month of March 2018, regular supply started by June 2018. Water supply to all the 2,500 villages was on time till March 2019.
In April 2019, it was curtailed and completely halted from June 15, 2019.
When asked about the alternate drinking water arrangements, Raghuveer said that they have arranged nearly 250 tankers for over four hundred villages under their jurisdiction.
The situation in Narayankhed, Manoor and Kangti areas of Sangareddy district is worse off. Damla Naik from Narayankhed said there is severe scarcity of water in Narayankhed area and added that people are purchasing water through tankers.
He added that the groundwater level has fallen to deep levels.