HYDERABAD: With the water level plummeting in the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP), the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has begun emergency pumping. Ten emergency pumps were inaugurated by HMWS&SB managing director C Sudarshan Reddy on Saturday.
Instructions were also issued to senior HMWS&SB officials to make preparations for the second stage pumping, if necessary. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to install emergency pumping motors to draw water from the Yellampalli reservoir (Godavari) from May 15. Compared to last year, an additional 175 MLD of water is being supplied to the consumers in the light of borewells drying up in the city due to the drop in the groundwater table.
The Water Board has installed five pumps of 60 cusecs capacity each (300 cusecs) and another five pumps of 120 cusecs capacity each (600 cusecs).
As against the full reservoir level of NSP of 590 feet, it stands at 508 feet. With the water level reaching dead storage, emergency pumping was started after seven years. The last pumping was done in 2017. Water is being lifted from the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir through the Puttagandi approach canal. Water is being collected through Akkampally Balancing Reservoir and then supplied to Hyderabad after being treated.
Stating that there was no need for citizens to worry over drinking water, Sudarshan said there was sufficient water available in the reservoirs of Nagarjuna Sagar, Yellampalli, Singur/Manjira, Osmansagar and Himayatsagar.
For the second phase of emergency pumping from NSP, arrangements will be made to supply water through submersible pumps on the surface of floating water, Sudarshan Reddy said.
This year the water supply to the city has been increased to 2,600 MLD, 175 MLDs higher than last year.