HYDERABAD: At a time when several parts of the State are lashed with incessant and heavy rains, the situation is not satisfactory for Greater Hyderabad and areas within the Outer Ring Road as water inflows in most of the major reservoirs that supply drinking water to the city remain insufficient. Scanty rainfall in the reservoirs has mainly affected Akkampally (Nagarjuna Sagar), Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Singur and Manjira and their catchment areas. The only solace is the Sripada Yellampally (Godavari) which is receiving good inflows for the last few days.
Similarly, water inflows in Srisailam are steadily increasing and if this were to continue for next one week to 10 days, water from Srisailam would be released into Nagarjunasagar. The water board officials are expecting good inflows into Nagarjunasagar reservoir soon. Srisailam is receiving good inflows of over two lakh cusecs on Saturday and 1.90 lakh cusecs inflows on Friday.
Till the last week of July, no inflows were recorded in these reservoirs leaving the authorities at the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) jittery. Presently, the water board is drawing water from dead storage of Akkampally reservoir by installing emergency pumps after the water levels plummeted to a mere 506 ft.
‘’We are hoping for a good rainfall this month in the catchment areas of Krishna, Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Singur and Manjira that would help in filling the water reservoirs so that Hyderabad does not have to face a drinking water shortage in the coming months,” HMWS&SB officials told Express.
Due to scanty rainfall in the said reservoirs as well as their catchment areas, the inflows are almost negligible when compared to previous years.
Another reason
Encroaching of catchment areas of these projects, especially at Osmansagar & Himayatsagar, for large-scale construction is further responsible for reduced water levels, apart from scanty rainfall