VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizagites are set to face severe water shortage in the coming summer as the underground water levels seem to recede thanks to scanty rainfall during the monsoon season.
Water levels at all reservoirs in the district are already depleted and the threat of a drinking water crisis looms large.
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation GVMC) said the current demand for water stands at 75 Million Gallons Daily MGD).
However, GVMC is able to supply only 50 MGD.
The situation is expected to worsen further in the coming summer, said sources.
Water levels at all reservoirs, which supply drinking water to Vizagties dropped in January.
Water level at Raiwada reservoir stand at 108 Mts on January 9, compared to 113.6 Mts last year.
Water levels at Meghadri Gedda Reservoir stand at 54.5 feet in January this year against 58.6 feet last year.
GVMC said due to the scanty rainfall and poor inflows from catchment areas, water levels at reservoirs have plummetted.
Assistant Director of the Groundwater Department, RKM Raju said Visakhapatnam district had recorded 27 percent deficit rainfall in 2011.
The average depth of groundwater in May 2011 in the district was 5.6 mts and showed no increase even in December, 2011.
Groundwater levels might come down in the coming summer in Visakhapatnam city, he said.
Water yields in borewells in the city will come down and Vizagites will face water crisis in the summer, he said.
It may be recalled that in the summer of 2010, Vizagites faced acute water crisis and GVMC resorted to water supply on alternate days.
Professor in Geology Department of Andhra University, N Subba Rao said ground water levels depend upon rain and other factors like nature of soil.
Rapid urbanisation in Visakhapatnam has resulted in majority of rain water flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
If mercury levels touch above 40 degree celsius in summer, Vizagites will face severe water crisis, he said.
Every summer, Visakhapatnam city residents face scarcity of water but GVMC has failed to initiate any project to chalk out a solution, said City President of BJP, M Nagendra.
GVMC should complete the pipeline from Yeleru canal to meet the growing needs of the city, he said.
GVMC area needs about 75 MGD of water out of which 30 MGD would be needed for industries but authorities failed to complete the pipeline in spite of strong demands from Vizagites, he added.