Cyclone Arnab Unlikely To Ease Telangana Water Crisis
IMD also forecast that the cyclone will move north through Wednesday and Thursday: Reports
HYDERABAD: Cyclone Arnab, which is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, is not expected to bring respite to rivers and drinking water in Telangana. While the storm could bring much‑needed rainfall after a prolonged dry spell, it may not be enough to replenish major reservoirs, river systems and drinking water sources depleted by a deficient monsoon and the looming impact of El Niño.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, IMD authorities said they had issued red‑alert warnings to the eastern Telangana districts of Bhadradri‑Kothagudem, Mahbubabad, Mulugu and Khammam, and orange alerts to Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Warangal, Suryapet, Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool for Wednesday.
“The wind speeds will be upwards of 50 to 60 km/h, and we might see a maximum speed of 70 km/h. After landfall, the impact of the cyclone will reduce. Andhra Pradesh will bear the brunt of the cyclone, and Telangana will experience heavy but passing storms after its landfall,” officials said.
A yellow alert was issued to Komuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Hanamkonda, Jangaon and Yadadri‑Bhuvanagiri districts for Wednesday, while the rest of the state, including Hyderabad, was placed under a green alert with light to moderate rainfall.
IMD also forecast that the cyclone will move north through Wednesday and Thursday, with Komuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts expected to receive moderate rainfall on Thursday.
The cyclone rains are unlikely to replenish river systems in Telangana over the following week. Heavy rainfall over a few days does not automatically translate into sustained water availability, as rain falling in a short period can run off rapidly into streams and drains, particularly when the ground cannot absorb it quickly.
Although some runoff may reach rivers and reservoirs, the extent of replenishment will depend on where the rain falls, its intensity and duration, and how much water flows into catchment areas upstream.
Telangana’s water security depends on rainfall across the wider Krishna and Godavari basins, including catchment areas outside the state in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Rain concentrated in eastern districts, particularly where IMD forecasts heavy rainfall, may cause local streams and smaller water bodies to swell without producing sufficient inflows into the state’s reservoirs that support drinking‑water schemes.
The storm could provide temporary relief to parched areas, recharge some local water bodies and improve soil moisture. But sustained replenishment of the Krishna and Godavari river systems will require adequate rainfall across their wider catchments.
