HYDERABAD: With heavy rains in the upstreams of the catchment areas of Osmansagar, popularly known as Gandipet, two floodgates were lifted up to one-foot level at a discharge rate of 200 cusecs.
Owing to the continuing rains over the last few days, floodgates of the Osmansagar were lifted after a gap of 11 years.
Also with the Himayatsagar reservoir receiving a large volume of water, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) lifted another two gates on Thursday evening. With this, a total of five floodgates have been lifted.
Meanwhile, people living in the downstreams of Shankar Nagar Basthi and other localities at Chaderghat are being shifted to safer places by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
With the lifting of floodgates of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs, more water discharge is likely into the downstream of the River Musi.
On Tuesday evening, three floodgates up to one foot of the Himayatsagar reservoir were opened to release water downstream of Musi. Through the fives gates, water was being released at 1,716 cusecs into the downstream of Musi till the last reports came in.The HMWS&SB has alerted the district administration of Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts, along with GHMC and police to secure any hutments, encroachments along the course of Musi river. Floodgates of Himayatsagar were opened in October last year in view of the heavy rains that lashed the city, Himayatsagar has a total of 17 floodgates, while Osmansagar has 15.
HMWS&SB officials said that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rains for two more days following which the decision to open the gates in both the reservoirs was taken. The full tank level (FTL) of Himayatsagar is 1,763.50 feet with a capacity of 2.968 tmcft. In view of the inflows from the catchment areas, the reservoir level reached 1762.60 feet (2.716 tmcft). The inflow was recorded at 600 cusecs, while the outflow was recorded at 1,716 cusecs.
The water levels at Osmansagar (Gandipet) reservoir is steadily increasing. As against the FTL of 1,790 feet (3.900 tmcft), the present level is about 1784.90 feet (2.817 tmcft). The inflow was recorded at 400 cusecs, while the outflow was at 200 cusecs. Water Board officials are closely monitoring the water levels in the Himayatsagar in the light of rains in the catchment areas, more gates will be opened depending upon the inflows from the upstream areas.
KTR asks officials to be on alert during rains
MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday instructed the GHMC authorities and other concerned officials to be on high alert and to take up necessary measures to meet the needs of the public.
As more rains are predicted during the next few days, the officials should ensure that people remain safe. He spoke to MAUD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar and other top brass on the impact of rains.
Authorities should be careful with those living in low-lying areas and dilapidated buildings, Rama Rao said. The Disaster Response Force (DRF) should be on high alert to rescue people during rains, he added. As heavy rains resulted in water logging in many areas, men and machinery should be deployed in the field to provide necessary help and to provide rehabilitation to the people living in the low-lying areas