Nizamabad: In view of the water scarcity, irrigation officials have decided to maintain minimum storage level of water in Nizamsagar project to meet the drinking water needs of the people.
At present, 4.97 tmcft of water is available in the project and around 2 tmcft has been kept in reserve for the drinking water needs of people in Nizamabad Municipal Corporation and Bodhan municipalities.
Lack of rains in the catchment areas of Nizamsagar project has adversely affected the water-level. The project had water at 1,400 ft against its full reservoir level of 1,405 ft on this day last year.
At present, water from river Manjeera is being used for drinking water needs of twin cities -- Hyderabad and Secunderabad, from Singur reservoir.
Meanwhile, Manjeera water in Nizamsagar project is also used for drinking water needs of Nizamabad city and Bodhan town.
The water reaches these towns through Nizamsagar main canal and is stored at Alisagar of Nizamabad and Bellal water tank of Bodhan. Nizamabad Municipal Corporation has also other sources of drinking water like Manchippa and Raghunath reservoirs.
Speaking to this newspaper, irrigation department executive engineer M. Bhupal Reddy said there was demand for water of Nizamsagar project for agriculture needs.
“We had already released 1200 cusecs of water per day for the ayacut area of the project to save the standing crops” he explained.
There is no scope for water supply up to tail end area of Nizamsagar main canal and it is restricted upto Alisagar reservoir only, he said.
Storing water for the drinking water needs of people is the priority of the government, he added.
