Shortage for drinking water not expected in Telangana this summer: Experts

Hyderabad: Hyderabad is unlikely to see water crisis in the summer, this year, experts say. The optimism is courtesy the prolonged monsoon

and unseasonal rains. This they say has improved the water level in reservoirs but the scenario is not the same in all reservoirs.

For instance, water level in Hyderabad’s twin reservoirs Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar as on 13th April, 2020 is 0.025 and 0.159 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) respectively. This is a substantial decrease in terms of volume compared to last year. According to the HMWSSB data, the volume of water in the twin reservoirs on the same day last year (13th April, 2019) was 0.88 and 0.719 TMC.

However, water level in Nagarjuna Sagar gives us reason to be optimistic as it currently has 196 TMC compared to 140 TMC last year.

Sridhar Rao Deshpande, OSD (irrigation) to the Chief Minister told NewsMeter, “We supplied water for 35 lakh acres in the rabi season from major and minor irrigation projects. This is unprecedented in the history of the irrigation department even in the united State of Andhra Pradesh. We had supplied water for irrigation during the kharif season. This was possible as we received good rain during August and September this year and all reservoirs are full in both the Krishna and Godavari basins.

“We won’t have shortage of drinking water this summer. We have stipulated the minimum level in each reservoir for the purpose of drinking water in summer. We have stopped supply of water to rabi crops. From April 15th, water will be given only for drinking purposes,” the officer added.

Singur and Nizam Sagar however received less rainfall during the last monsoon. Water was supplied to Nizam Sagar from Sriram Sagar through irrigation schemes.

Meanwhile, water is expected to be supplied from Singur reservoir to 827 habitations in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts. From

April 15 to June end the water from Singur is expected to be utilized from Singur for drinking purposes.

Similarly, the water from SRSP (Sriram Sagar Project), whose current capacity in 33 TMC, is being distributed among habitations in Nizamabad, Kamareddy and two mandals in the Yellareddy constituency.

Mid Manair dam, which has a total capacity of 25.87 TMC, currently has 21 TMC water. Meanwhile, 10.38 TMC water is available in the Lower Manair dam as against its capacity of 24 TMC.