GVMC to tap minor water sources through borewells

Works expected to be completed in the next two months

Tapping the resources: The GVMC is planning to deepen the infiltration wells at Mudasarlova reservoir near Visakhapatnam.

With a comfortable water supply situation for this summer, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is now planning to tap minor water sources to meet the contingencies in future.

Improving local water bodies such as Mudasarlova, Gambhiram and Gosthani will come in though to a minimal extent in case of any problem in the supply arising from the major sources. Gambhiram and Mudasarlova reservoirs together contribute 1% of the total water drawn by the GVMC from various sources. But, they usually go dry in summer.

Reservoirs dried up

The GVMC summer plan had counted Gambhiram reservoir as a sustainable source up to only January this year, while the same for Gosthani river and Mudasarlova were up to February and March respectively. It means the civic body has to fall back upon pumping from the dead storage level of Yeleru reservoir, in spite of other back-ups this summer.

Mudasarlova reservoir has almost dried up and to cater to the needs of the areas served by it, water is being supplied from Kommadi using an inter-connection.

The reservoir has four infiltration wells set up during the British era and sub-surface water is drawn from them. Based on the expert advice, it has been decided to deepen the infiltration wells.

While the infiltration wells yield water at 25 to 30 feet, deep borewells go up to 250 to 300 metres. The actual groundwater availability will be known only after a further survey and digging the wells. However, officials estimate that the four deep borewells will help draw 0.1 to 0.15 MGD, say sources. Usually, around 0.5 MGD is drawn from the reservoir when water is available.

In pipeline

Gambhiram has four borewells contributing around 0.15 MGD of water. Two more borewells are planned there to augment the supply by an additional 0.5 to 0.6 MGD.

Gosthani has eight infiltration wells from which 4.5 to 5 MGD is drawn in normal times. it is learnt that four new borewells have been proposed to draw between 1.5 to 2 MGD water.

The work, however, is expected to be completed in the next two months and will stand the corporation in good stead for the next summer, say sources.