As summer approaches, an unprecedented water crisis looms big over hyderabad and a few other districts in the State. To weather the impending crisis, the State administration has not yet unveiled a backup plan. The situation is growing worse with only 11 TMC left in the Sripada yellampalli project and water being released from the kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) Annaram and Sundilla barrages due to purported leaks.
The hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board's projected summer action plan for 2024 states that the Greater hyderabad region will require an additional 50 MGD (million gallons per day) on top of the current 550 MGD use. The bulk of the krishna and Godavari River's big reservoirs are already losing water; just 319.22 TMC of the 517.81 TMC total storage capacity remains. Due to water scarcity, the State administration has previously proclaimed a crop vacation for several projects.
In these circumstances, the water level in the Sripada Yellampally project reached around 11 TMC on Sunday, compared to the 18.98 TMC total storage capacity. Less than 7 TMC are usable given the project's dead storage level of 3.3 TMC.
Important users, such as hyderabad and many other districts, rely on the water supply from the Sripada Yellampally project for Mission Bhagiratha. However, satisfying the demand for Mission Bhagiratha would be extremely difficult because of the fast depletion, which is happening at a pace of almost one TMC each week.
Irrigation officials have suggested an immediate release of water from the Kadem project to maintain the necessary water level in the Sripada Yellampally project for the delivery of drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha to meet this growing situation. With a harvest holiday this year, the Kadem project, which can store up to 7 TMC, has additional obstacles. At the moment, it can only contain about 3.57 TMC. As there are 2.5 TMC at the project's dead storage level, only about 1 TMC is accessible for distribution.
Furthermore, following reports of purported leaks at the Sundilla barrage, the State government recently instructed the officials to release water downstream from the barrage. The issue is becoming worse even though personnel were told not to lift water from the Sundilla barrage to feed the Sripada Yellampally project.
Officials noted the urgent need for quick action to prevent an unprecedented water shortage in the State capital and other areas, as the water level of the Yellampally project is decreasing. They suggested that the State government think about releasing water from the Kadem project to the Sripada Yellampally project up to the crest level.