Twin cities to face severe water crisis in two months?

The twin cities and their surrounding areas may face a severe drinking water crisis if there are no rains in the catchment areas of Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, and the Singur Project in the next two months.

Setting off alarm bells at the Ranga Reddy District Review Committee Meeting on Wednesday, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) Managing Director M.T. Krishna Babu said Osmansagar and Himayatsagar could go dry by December, while supply from Singur might last only till April next.
Summer blues

“Even if we don’t release water for irrigation and reserve cent per cent, a crisis will crop up next summer,” Mr.Babu said. Water in Nagarjunasagar reservoir too has dipped below the minimum drawdown level of 510 feet, he informed.

The District in-charge Minister, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, directed him to consider the floating pumping system by which water can be drawn up to 498 feet.

Deficit rainfall and the resultant crop failure and scarcity of fodder were also discussed at length at the meeting attended by Home Minister P.Sabita Indra Reddy, District Collector M.Dana Kishore and MLAs.

The district registered a rainfall of 94.8 mm and 68.3 mm in June and July against the average rainfall of 104 mm and 183 mm for the corresponding months.

For the current month (till August 13), rainfall was six mm, against the average of 175.2 mm. Jowar and maize farmers suffered major losses while the situation was no better for red gram and cotton too. TD MLA K.Hareeswar Reddy demanded a special plan for vegetable crops and called for immediate installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation equipment. Mr. Dana Kishore assured that vegetables were being planned for about 10,000 hectares for rabi, doubling the acreage.

The legislators were also agitated over lack of a contingency plan for supply of ready fodder. TD MLA M. Kishan Reddy pointed out said that milch animals supplied under ‘Pasu Kranthi’ scheme last year would not survive if fodder was not supplied immediately. Fodder should be grown in dried-up tanks and seeds be made available to farmers, it was suggested. Lack of drinking water in schools, teachers’ shortage and discrepancies in housing allotments were other issues discussed.