Visakhapatnam: Dispelling doubts over the potential drinking water crisis, the heavy rains in the last week filled the major reservoirs that supply water to Vizag city to the brim. While the Yeleru reservoir and Godavari (through the pump house on the Godavari at Kateru) meets the lion’s share of the city’s domestic and industrial water needs, the rest of the water is acquired through Raiwada, Tatipudi, Meghadri Gedda, Gosthani, etc.
Until the fourth week of August, there were concerns that without a good burst of rain, Visakhapatnam could head towards a severe water crisis next summer. Even the officials had to start pumping from the Yeleru reservoir in August after the water levels dipped below the range – where the water from the reservoir flows by gravity itself into the Yeleru Canal and thereby to Vizag.
While the Thatipudi reservoir attained a level of 293 feet against its maximum of 297 feet, the water level in Meghadri Gedda reservoir stood at 58 feet against its maximum of 61 feet.
On Thursday, the water level at the Raiwada reservoir was at 113.4 metres against its maximum of 114 metres and recently thousands of cusecs of water was released from it.
The water level in Gambhiram reservoir had reached about 116 feet against the maximum of 126 feet. The level in the Yeleru reservoir crossed 77-meter mark, making the water flow to the Kanithi Balancing Reservoir in Visakhapatnam without any pumping.
Pumping is needed to draw water from this reservoir once the levels dip down to 71.5 metres – which could likely happen only in the summer months this time.
A GVMC official from the Water Supply department informed that the Yeleru reaching 77 metre mark is a pretty good sign for the city as last year’s maximum level in the reservoir was only 73.5 metres.
“Even at that range in the Yeleru reservoir last year, we could manage the water supply without much problem this summer. Besides Yeleru, all reservoirs were full to the brim and we hope a good summer next year,” the official added.
