Visakhapatnam: Groundwater depletes, water woes increase

Visakhapatnam: With the depletion of groundwater resources, people in many parts of the city are facing severe water problems this summer.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has arranged 75 tankers to supply drinking water to the houses in some areas. However, there is more demand for tankers in the city.

The water scarcity hits several areas including Seethammapeta, Krishnapuram, Peda Gadili, Thotagaruvu, Arilova Colony, Mustafa Colony, Ravindra Nagar, Old Dairy Farm, Adarsh Nagar, Visalakshi Nagar, Jodugullapalem and Yendada. The residents have been asking to increase the number of tankers as the water coming from the bore wells was not sufficient.

The GVMC has prepared summer action plan to enhance the water supply with a budget of Rs 483.4 lakh. It includes the proposal to pump the dead storage water from Raiwada reservoir at a cost of Rs 196 lakh. The municipality would hire 19 tankers at a cost of Rs 181.61 lakh. It planned to set up seven new hand bore wells with an amount of Rs 54 lakh.

Though Raiwada and Meghadri Gedda reservoirs are sustainable up to mid-May and mid-June respectively, more than 20 per cent of the city is facing severe water crisis. The civic authority has taken up pumping arrangements of the dead storage water at Raiwada for a period of 55 days.

Around 8 million gallons of water per day (MGD) is being pumped into Meghadri Gedda reservoir through Old Raiwada pumping main. Gosthani river, Mudasarlova and Ghambeeram Gedda reservoirs have dried up completely due to insufficient rain. As a result, the people in the city are facing severe water crisis.

Municipal commissioner M. Hari Narayanan said, “After model code of conduct is completed, the GVMC is planning to connect Padmanabhapuram and Mudasarlova reservoirs by laying inter-connection line. Another connection line is proposed from Sundaraiah Colony to Malkapuram. This will improve the supply of drinking water in the city.”