Hyderabad: Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday said that half of Hyderabad’s drinking water needs were being met through water tankers.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on drought conditions in the state, Mr Rao said that while the city’s total water demand was 660 MGD, only 355 MGD was at present being supplied from Krishna and Godavari rivers.
Admitting a severe water crisis in the city due to drought conditions for last two years, the minister said that for the first time, all four reservoirs catering to the city’s needs had gone totally dry, leaving Hyderabad entirely dependent on Krishna and Godavari waters.
“If not for our efforts in bringing Godavari and Krishna water to Hyderabad faster, the city would have faced the worst-ever water crisis today. Despite not getting a single drop of water from Osmansagar, Himayathsagar, Manjeera and Singur reservoirs as they are totally dry — a never-before phenomenon — the government could meet more than half of the city’s drinking water needs from Krishna and Godavari.
For the rest, Rs 60 crore has been released to supply water through tankers during summer as we are left with no other option at this stage. We are ready to release more funds to meet water needs in April and May,” Mr Rao said.
“Last year, during the same period, we could supply 340 MGD. This year, despite all reservoirs around the city going dry, we could augment water supply to 355 MGD. Unfortunately, even the Nagarjunasagar project has dried up this year. We have initiated emergency pumping measures at Nagarjunasagar by spending Rs 7 crore to utilise whatever water is available there for Hyderabad,” he said.
Stating that all these measures would not help in finding a permanent solution to drinking water problem in city, Mr Rama Rao said, “All these are being taken up as short-term and medium-term measures to tide over the water crisis in summer. Long-term measures are needed to find a permanent solution. We are on the job and Mission Bhagiratha (Water Grid) which is progressing fast, would provide permanent solution within two years.”
He added that 1,000 water harvesting pits are being dug in the city to recharge groundwater and over two lakh pits would be dug across the state.
