HMWS&SB Boss Rules out Water Crisis in City this Summer
Hyderabad: Despite a decrease in water levels in the state’s reservoirs, Hyderabad, unlike Bengaluru, will not face water crisis, said officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) as “Telangana state boasts of copious amounts of water.”
“The fear of a lack of drinking water will not arise in Hyderabad,” affirmed HMWS&SB managing director C. Sudharshan Reddy during an interaction with reporters here on Saturday.
However, he said, drinking water should be used for domestic purposes under the provisions of HMWSS Act, 1989. Misuse or diverting them for other purposes like trade, manufacture, gardening and construction is strictly prohibited.
Sudharshan Reddy said that in spite of a decrease in water level, the main sources Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Akkampally (Nagarjuna sagar), Yellampalli (Godavari), Singur and Manjira have sufficient water to cater to the needs of people living in GHMC limits and areas within the ORR.
Board officials attributed the depleting ground water tables to less rainfall and decline in inflows into the Krishna basin. Meanwhile, as part of its summer action, the officials said an additional 22 MGD of water will be drawn from Godavari, Osmansagar and Himayatsagar sources. Emergency pumping arrangements will ensure supply of an additional 25 MGD of water in their service areas this year.
As directed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the state irrigation department is negotiation with its counterparts in upstream states to release 30 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Koyna dam in Maharashtra to Srisailam via the Almatti and Narayanpur dams in Karnataka to boost drinking water supply in the state.
The HMWS&SB has addressed a letter to the irrigation & CAD department asking them to urge Krishna River Board Management to maintain the 510 feet level at the Nagarjunasagar reservoir and according priority to drinking water needs till fresh inflows reach Krishna basin around August.