After a prolonged hiatus spanning nearly seven years, Hyderabad’s critical water sources, the twin reservoirs of Osman Sagar, colloquially known as Gandipet, and Himayat Sagar, are poised to resume full-scale utilisation to alleviate the city’s water shortage.
Effective from the onset of April, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) will commence “Drawing 40 mgd of water from the twin reservoirs has become inevitable. The water board has been witnessing a surge in tanker demand for the past couple of months,”
HMWSSB grapples with a surge in demand for water tankers over recent months, elucidated Mr. M Satyanarayana, Executive Director of HMWS&SB. Despite the combined capability of Osman Sagar to provide 25 mgd and Himayat Sagar 15 mgd, the water board has historically tapped only a fraction of this capacity, drawing a mere 14 mgd and 2.8 mgd respectively, in previous years. A significant shift in policy, attributed to governmental approval, now facilitates the withdrawal of the full 40mgd from the twin reservoirs, a practice expected to persist until June or until the advent of monsoon, rejuvenating the city’s depleted water sources. The resurgence of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar as the city’s ‘lifeline’ underscores their pivotal role amidst plummeting levels in key drinking water sources such as the Krishna and Godavari rivers, compounded by a concerning decline in groundwater levels. This strategic redirection ensures that Hyderabad’s burgeoning water needs are met, providing relief to residents and addressing the burgeoning demand for water tankers, thus fortifying the city’s resilience against water scarcity challenges.
