Hyderabad: There will be a severe drinking water crisis from April to July this year in the twin cities and surrounding areas, if the water board’s assessment is to be believed. Water levels in reservoirs are low as the monsoon last year was not very robust.
Moreover, the state government has told HMWSSB not to draw water from Himay-athsagar and Osmansagar in a view of recharging of borewells in surrounding areas. The water board is planning to get water from private water sources such as borewells to meet drinking water needs.
Poor rains in July-October last year saw water levels in Nagarjuna Sagar — the main source of water for HMWSSB — reduce considerably, pro-mpting HMWSSB officials to warn of a severe water crisis this summer. Borewells that supplement the water supply are also likely to go dry.
Should there be power breakdowns, water supply services will be further dislocated in Hyderabad which is predominantly dependent on the pumping system. Water is pumped from the Krishna, Manjeera and Godavari rivers so power supply is crucial to keep the pumps going.
As water levels sink in reservoirs, water is drawn from dead storage, which is likely to contain high turbidity, algae and other impurities and would require special treatment, including addition of chemicals such as activated carbon.
