VISAKHAPATNAM:As the water resources are fast drying up, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is at the mercy of the rain god to ensure drinking water supply to Vizagites. The current water reserves can hardly meet the needs till third week of June.
In case of any delay in the monsoon or poor rainfall in June, the GVMC will face problem in providing drinking water to the citizens. However, the authorities are hopeful of getting good monsoon rains and say that there would be no problem to the supply of potable water till end-June.
The GVMC manages drinking water needs from eight sources. Mudasarlova, Gambheeram, Gosthani, Meghadrigedda, Raiwada, Thatipudi and Yeleru are the reservoirs and the Godavari water. At peak summer the GVMC supplies 64 MGD (domestic 57 MGD and industrial 14 MGD) water against the demand of 84 MGD. There are several doubts on the current supply of 64 MGD. According to sources in the GVMC’s water supply wing, the GVMC claims of supplying 64 MGD did not match with the actual output due to poor standards of the pipelines and ongoing development works of the water projects.
Meanwhile, the water level in the Yeleru reservoir has hit the lowest point and is presently drawing water from the dead storage reserves of the Godavari river. The water reserves in the Yeleru have already reached an alarming level in March itself. The reserves in Gambheeram, Gosthani and Meghadrigedda reservoirs are no better, if not worse (see the box for the water table of the GVMC). The water in the reservoirs is expected to nosedive further in the ensuing four/five days, sources said.
The GVMC has to manage the show with the available water from Raiwada, Thatipudi and Mudasarlova till the monsoon peaks in the region.
“The city is not registering good rains in the month of June. In fact, the first spell of monsoon won’t bring much rain, the reservoirs will be brimming with water mostly in July/August,” one of the engineers of the GVMC water wing said. If there is any delay in the monsoon rains, priority will be given to the domestic needs by stopping water supply to the industries, the engineer added. With the help of the dead storage from the Godavari (40 per cent of the total supply of the city), the corporation will manage the show till June-end.
Asked about the alarming situation, superintending engineer, Water Supply, the GVMC, Moses Kumar said that there would be no problem to supply water to both domestic and industrial sectors till June-end. We could face a problem if there is any delay in the rains or lean rainfall, the SE said.