Supply pressure dips despite water board’s assurance of no change in supply to city.
Hyderabad: The depletion of water levels in the Krishna river basin projects has begun affecting supply in the city. Though the Metropolitan Water Board says that the volume of water supplied to the city has remained unchanged, residents complain about very low pressure and irregular water supply.
Because Godavari water cannot be supplied through the Krishna pipeline network, about two-thirds of the city depending on water from Nagarjunasagar will face a crisis if the project does not get inflows from Srisailam and upstream dams in Karnataka. The Water Board says that Hyderabad is receiving 420 million gallons a day of which 270 MGD comes from the Krishna.
Though the water level has reached the minimum draw down level of 510 feet at Nagarjunasagar, the board is pumping water from the dam. There is only 12 feet of water before Nagarjunasagar runs dry. If the reservoir does not get water from Srisailam, which depends on outflows from Karnataka, about 6.5 lakh consumers in the city will face an acute water crisis.
Several areas are already reporting irregular supplies and unofficial shutdowns including Riyas-athnagar, Santoshnagar, Vinaynagar, Saidabad, Asmangadh, Chanchal-guda, Yakutpura, Malakpet and Moosa-rambagh. Water problems are also being reported from Narayanguda, Boggul-kunta, Adikmet, Shivam, Chilkalguda, Aliabad, Miralam, Kishanbagh, Sahebnagar, BN Reddy-nagar.
Residents at Balapur, Barkas, Maisaram, Band-laguda, Mailardevpally, Shastripuram, Budvel, Goldenheights, Sulema Nagar, Hyderguda, Allabanda, Gandhamguda, Bhojagutta, Asifnagar, Elugutta have complained that supply is either irregular or non-existent on certain days. Other areas complaining of irregular water supplies are Habsiguda, Nacharam, Tarnaka, Lalapet, Boudh-anagar, Marredpally, Mee-rpet, Shaikpet, Madhapur, Gachibowli, Prashasan Nagar, Moula Ali, HB Colony, Mallapur, Bodu-ppal and Beerappagadda.
According to highly placed sources, the lack of Krishna water can be compensated by water from the Godavari but this has no supply network. The ring main which aimed at connecting both water sources is still incomplete due to land acquisition issues and fund crunch.
Water stress will only intensify if the work is not completed by next year. There will be a greater reliance on groundwater which will only worsen the situation.
Sources said that the Water Board has been working to minimise the loss of water through leakage but has no scientific approach. The board cannot find the Rs 5 crore needed for the job.
A senior Water Board official said that Krishna water could last the city two months. The board has secured permission dig deeper and draw water which will suffice for one more month. He said that the Water Board was preparing alternative plans apart from using Manjira and Singur water to supply to the city. Despite this, the city should be ready for an acute water crisis for a brief period.
