Water level abysmally low in Himayatsagar and Osmansagar

HMWSSB officials say only heavy rains can fill up the catchment areas in Tandur, Chevella, Parigi and Vikarabad.

HYDERABAD,10/09/2013: Every drop is precious: Panoramic view of Himayatsagar, one of the drinking water body for city dwellers, turned into green grazing land for shepherd descends surrounding villages with flocks of sheep after rains failed to shore up inflows into the lake with water level touching 1734.8 on September 10, as against 1747.8 same day, last year (1763.5 FRL). The capital's water crisis has been building-up with its reservoirs shrinking and the city turning into a concrete jungle eating into the catchments that impact inflows into Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar, key reservoirs. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

Showers in the last couple of days gave some hope to water board officials, who have been waiting since June for the monsoon to fill up the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes. Though the water level in both bodies was lesser compared to last year, the situation is critical for the former.

On Thursday, the Osmansagar Lake’s water level was recorded at 0.055 thousand million cubic ft. (TMC), drastically low when compared to the reading of 0.820 TMC last year on the same day. Though the water level at the Himayatsagar lake is also low compared to a year ago, it had 0.542 TMC on Tuesday, little lesser than the 0.621 TMC recorded the previous year.

A senior official from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), not wishing to be identified, said that water is currently being supplied from the two lakes through emergency pumping. Since the water levels are low, only 25 million gallons per day (MGD) is being supplied to the city, instead of the regular 40 MGD. The deficit in supply is covered by the Krishna phase-3 project, he mentioned.

“We have been praying for the monsoons since June, but the situation has not improved. The recent rains have given us some hope, or else the condition of the lakes will continue to be critical,” said the HMWSSB official. He added that only heavy rains could fill up the catchment areas in Tandur, Chevella, Parigi and Vikarabad areas, and improve the situation.

Palamuru Lift Irrigation Project

The Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes might be free from the uncertainty of the monsoons in the coming years, as there is a plan to link them to the Palamuru Lift Irrigation project, said the official. “Though the tender process is on now, it will take years to complete the project, under which the Srisailam water will be linked to the two lakes. The dependency on rains will end once it is done,” he stated.

Works on Krishna phase-3 Project stalled

Though Hyderabad presently receives 45 MGD of water from the Krishna phase-3 project, the full capacity of 90 MGD is yet to be supplied, as works near the Ramanaidu Studios have been stalled due to a court case.

“About 840 metres of work on public property is yet to be done, as a private party has filed a case in the High Court. Once that is completed, then the additional 45 MGD can be supplied,” said the official. Apart from that, a 1,500 millimetre (mm) pipeline and another 1,400 mm pipeline of shorter distances are to be laid to complete works in other areas under the Krishna phase-3 project, he added.

Water drawn from Himayatsagar and Osmansagar per day: 25 MGD

Full capacity of water supply from the lakes: 40 MGD

Present water level of Osmansagar: 0.055 TMC

Water level of Osmansagar last year on the same day: 0.820 TMC

Present water level of Himayatsagar lake: 0.542 TMC

Water level of Himayatsagar on same day last year: 0.621 TMC