The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) and Irrigation and Command Area Development (I&CAD) department are at loggerheads on releasing water from Singur reservoir to Medak and Nizamabad districts for irrigation purpose.
Any release of water for agriculture purpose would result in difficulty to the Greater Hyderabad as majority of the drinking needs are met by the Singur reservoir. Compared to last year, the present level in the Singur reservoir is low.
According to Water Board officials, release of water from Singur would result in trouble to Hyderabad during the next summer when there will be severe shortage of drinking water. At present, there is a shortage of 140 MGD supplies to Hyderabad. Two days ago, the I&CAD department has dashed off a letter to the Water Board department asking them to release 1.5 TMC of water from Singur reservoir to Medak and Nizamabad districts to help the local farmers cultivate their lands.
Speaking to Express, HMWS&SB officials said that releasing of water for irrigation purpose at this juncture does not arise in view of the low water level in the Singur reservoir.
They said the state government in February, 1990 issued orders that water from Singur can be released for agriculture purpose to the neighbouring districts if the water level is at 521.418 mts in October and at 521.270 mts in November.
As on today, the water level is at 519.159 mts against it FRL of 523.6 mts, they added. The present storage is about 12.4 tmc against its total capacity of 29.917 tmc.
Last year, on the same day, the storage was about 29.048 tmc which means the storage has come down 70 percent. To settle the issue, a meeting would be held soon between the principal secretaries of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), I&CAD and other officials of the two departments.
The Singur dam is operated by the irrigation department, though it serves Hyderabad on a priority basis to meet the drinking needs. Release of water from Singur main gates for irrigation purpose has to be jointly agreed upon by the principal secretary for irrigation and the managing director of the HMWS & SB.