Villages on Backwaters of NSP Face Drinking Water Problem in Nalgonda

Nalgonda: About 18 villages adjacent to the backwaters of the Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP) are experiencing a critical drinking water shortage. Villages like Guvvalagutta thanda, Yelmalamanda, Kacharajupally, Theldevarpally, Kambalapally, and Kakunuru thanda have seen their water supply diminish since March, raising concerns of a severe crisis in the coming months.

Officials attribute the shortage to a combination of geographic factors and a big drop in NSP water levels. The reservoir’s level has fallen to 519 feet — just nine feet above the dead storage threshold — leaving the project with only 148 TMCs of water, compared to its full capacity of 312 TMCs. In addition, water is being diverted for irrigation and for urban supply; 290 million litres per day (MLD) are being channeled from the Akkampally balancing reservoir to meet Greater Hyderabad’s needs.

Residents have voiced frustration over the insufficient water allocation under Mission Bhagiratha, which promises 100 litres per person per day. “We receive drinking water only twice a week. On the other days, we rely on bore wells, which often yield only scanty water,” said Ramavath Ravi Naik, a villager from Guvvalagutta thanda.

Kethavath Khandriya Naik from Theldevarpally added, “Even after drilling a bore well up to 800 feet, we struggle to get enough water. In summer, we are forced to purchase water from RO plants to meet our needs.”

In response to mounting complaints, Rural Water Supply (RWS) divisional engineer Nagesh confirmed that special measures are being formulated to address the drinking water shortfall in these upper NSP areas. District authorities are actively exploring alternative arrangements to secure a more reliable supply for the affected communities.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as NSP officials predict that water levels could reach the dead storage mark by the end of March, potentially exacerbating the crisis.