Hyderabad’s water utility has started preparing a summer contingency plan to prevent interruptions in drinking water supply, with officials instructed to map areas dependent on the Singur and Manjeera sources and identify alternative supply arrangements in advance.
Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board managing director Ashok Reddy issued the directions at a review meeting at the board’s head office in Khairatabad. Joint managing director Mayank Mittal also attended the meeting, which reviewed preparedness for the coming summer.
The review covered the Singur-Manjeera contingency plan, restoration of power borewells, filling stations, network connectivity, industrial and bulk water supply, and the reuse of treated wastewater. Officials were asked to prepare area-wise plans specifying the alternative water source, the route through which water could be supplied and the quantity available during an emergency.
Reddy also directed the board to assess the interconnections, junctions, valves and pipelines required to move water through alternative routes. These components are to be kept ready ahead of the summer, according to the report by Deccan Chronicle.
The board has been asked to identify locations likely to face high demand, low pressure and supply constraints because they are at the tail end of the distribution network. Officials must prepare proposals for new pipelines and network strengthening in these areas, the report said.
The instructions place the distribution network at the centre of the summer preparedness exercise. Identifying source-dependent areas alone will not ensure alternative supply unless the city has the pipeline links, valves and junctions needed to redirect water. The board’s review therefore includes both source planning and the physical network required to deliver water to affected neighbourhoods.
The meeting also addressed water wastage during the summer. Officials were asked to develop measures to identify and control unnecessary wastage and the misuse of drinking water for non-domestic purposes. Reddy directed that public awareness should precede action against deliberate wastage, while repeated violations should attract action under existing rules.
Filling stations and tanker operations formed another part of the preparations. The board was instructed to assess existing filling-station capacity, tanker movement and daily demand, and to identify locations that may require additional filling points.
The directions come as HMWS&SB begins planning for a period when demand, pressure variations and local network limitations can affect the reliability of urban water distribution. The board’s next steps are to complete the area-wise contingency plans, assess the required network works and determine where additional filling capacity is needed before summer demand rises.
