GUNTUR: Water level at Prakasam Barrage has fallen to 4 feet from the normal 12 feet stopping drinking water supply to Guntur and other areas of Amaravati.
The wide water reservoir on the Krishna river at Prakasam Barrage now turned into a small water pond with the decrease of water level. The people of Guntur city are already facing severe hardships for drinking water as Guntur municipal corporation is supplying drinking water once in two or three days in a majority of the areas and the fall in water level at Prakasam Barrage would completely stop water supply.
The Guntur city requires 90 MLD drinking water per day to quench the thirst of the public in normal days but the demand increases to 120 MLD to 130 MLD during summer season.
According to the GMC, the water reserves can supply water to the public of the Guntur city only for next seven days. If the water level does not increase in the Krishna River at Prakasam Barrage, there would be no drinking water supply to Guntur city.
The Guntur channel supplies water to Guntur city but the water supply from Krishna river was stopped due to fall in water level. But the GMC installed power motors and pumping water into Guntur channel through pipes from Krishna river for the past one month. The motor pumping also stopped due to fall in water levels to 4 feet. People in most of areas in Guntur are forced to buy mineral water.
