Reservoirs in Vizag full, enough water for next summer
By : K.M.P. PATNAIK
Update: 2024-12-30 16:26 GMT
Visakhapatnam: All the reservoirs in Visakhapatnam are full to the brim due to excess rainfall during the southwest monsoons and the systems formed in the Bay of Bengal post-monsoon.
"Greater Visakhapatnam, having a population of around 20 lakh, will not face any water problem during the next summer as the reservoirs that supply water to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) are near full,’’ said K. Sudhakar, executive engineer of GVMC. The city faced a severe water shortage in 2018 and 2019 due to scanty rainfall.
He said the current demand is 465 million liters per day, and GVMC is supplying 400 million liters per day. Of this, one-fourth of the water was being supplied to commercial establishments, industries, and big apartment complexes.
The EE said the corporation connected tap water to three lakh houses, including BPL groups and slums, supplying water for 45 minutes daily. In addition, 8,274 hand-bored wells were operating in the city at strategic points. Stating that good southwest and northeast monsoons were responsible for filling the reservoirs, the EE said completion of Polavaram will permanently solve the water problem even if monsoons fail.
According to the available information, Yeluru reservoir, which supplies half of the water needs of the city with 43.89 mgd (millions of gallons per day), has a current level of 84.2 meters against the maximum level of 86.56 meters, followed by Raiwada which supplies 15.54 mgd having a present level of 113 meters. The full reservoir level of this water body is 114 meters.
Godavari River supplies 15 mgd and has a current level of 13 meters against the maximum level of 18 meters, Meghadrigedda supplies 5 mgd and has a level of 58 feet against the full level of 61 feet, Thatipudi reservoir supplies 9 mgd and has a current level of 295 feet against the full level of 297 feet. The Gosthani River has 29 feet level against 35 feet and supplies 4.5 mgd and the Mudasarlova reservoir has a level of 164 feet against the full level of 169 feet. Only half mgd is drawn from this reservoir. Gambeeram Gedda has 123 feet water level of 126 feet and no water is drawn from this reservoir.