Arrangements for emergency pumping of water from Nagarjunasagar reservoir in Nalgonda are being made on a war-footing to meet the drinking water needs of Hyderabad this summer. Motors would be operated any time after April 15, officials said.
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The water level in the reservoir, in the early hours of Saturday, stood at around 510.30 feet dead storage level. This is the second time, after 2016, that the government has decided to draw water using emergency pumps.
Addressing officials and taking stock of the water situation on Saturday, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration & Urban Development) M. Dana Kishore said that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) will draw an additional 20 million litres per day water from the twin reservoirs – Himayatsagar and Osmansagar.
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The Mir Alam and Asif Nagar filter beds would be repaired to function effectively and sites are being examined to construct new water treatment plants, he said.
In view of the anticipated rise in demand for water in the coming weeks, Mr. Dana Kishore said increasing the number of water tankers – 100 5kl and 70 2.5 kl capacity tankers – was a strategy, and new tankers are being procured. The Board is also preparing action plans to reduce the tanker delivery time to under 12 hours.
Interestingly, the top official said, the demand for water tankers has fallen from 6,000 daily trips to about 5,000 this week.
Mr. Dana Kishore’s review also noted serious action against local linemen, after media reports indicated that a few of them were found to have obstructed or favoured more water time to certain colonies for personal benefit. Review of linemen performance, recording details of supply and delivery, and all quality parameters, he said, must be strictly checked by managers in all ranks.