Hyderabad: The city’s water authority decided to draw an additional 50 million gallons a day (MGD) of water from the Godavari to meet the rising demand, over repeated complaints of water shortage across the city.
The state government instructed the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) to ensure sufficient water supply, including for consumption, during the summer. Sources said that the government wants to ensure there is no water crisis, because of the Assembly elections set to be held this year-end.
“Since this is the election year, the government wants to ensure the uninterrupted water supply to citizens in the city. Government has asked to draw an additional 50 MGD to the city and conduct a study on water deficient areas in this regard. Additional 50 MGD water would be drawn from the Manjira and Singur water sources,” a senior water board official said.
Asked why HMWSSB was drawing only 387 MGD, when normal demand was 516 MGD, and where the additional water meant for the city was supplied, the official refused to comment.
While water board officials claim they have been drawing water from Sripada Yellampally (86 MGD), Singur (75 MGD) and Manjira (45 MGD), the HMWSSB website states that 30 MGD is drawn from Manjira, 56 MGD from Sripada Yellampally and 75 MGD from the Singur reservoir.
Highly placed sources in the water board said that the remaining water, over the years, was diverted through Mission Bhagiratha pipelines to other areas, especially where by-polls were held, resulting in the acute water crisis in various parts of the city even before peak summer.
With numerous complaints pouring in, the state government recently asked the HMWSSB to study and shortlist areas facing a drinking water crisis.
Areas of Karkhana, Trimulgherry, Bolarum, Vasavi Nagar and West Marredpally under the Secunderabad Cantonment and Hafeezpet, Madinaguda, Deeptisrinagar and Manikonda under the IT corridors have been among the worst hit. Residents said they have been hiring tankers since November 2022 to meet their water demands.
A few pockets in Nallagandla, Chandannagar and other municipalities in the city outskirts, especially Jalpally, are also facing water shortages.
