Water levels dip in Sagar & Srisailam reservoirs, city stares at crisis | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: With water levels plummeting at an alarming rate in various projects, especially Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam in the Krishna basin and Sripada Yellampally in the Godavari basin, and Greater Hyderabad and surrounding areas likely to face water crisis next month, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has asked the irrigation department to maintain required water levels in the three major reservoirs to ensure there will be no drinking water shortage to the city.
On Feb 1, the water level at Nagarjunasagar was 552 feet (ft) against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 590 ft. It fell to 530 feet by Feb 28 and dipped further to 521 feet on March 12 and on April 6, it further plummeted to 516 feet. Similarly, the water level at Srisailam project was 853 feet against the FRL of 885 ft on Feb 1, 2025, and now (April 6) it stands at just 819 feet. At Yellampally on the Godavari river, the situation seems to slightly better with the present water level at 469 feet against its FRL of 485 feet. Officials said Yellampally received some inflows due to the recent rains and agriculture usage was almost over in that area.
Officials attribute the dwindling water levels in the Krishna basin projects to hot weather conditions, depletion of ground water and water usage for irrigation purpose. The present water level can provide drinking water for the next 20-25 days before it hits the critical 510 ft minimum draw down level (MDDL), where water drawl is difficult by gravity and HMWS&SB might have to switch to emergency pumping.
“We are preparing for emergency pumping if the water level in Nagarjunasagar further dips to 510 feet. We hope water at Puttamgandi (an offtake point for Krishna water in Nalgonda district) may be utilised for another 10 to 15 days. We are expecting some problem during the peak summer in May, but there is no need for any panic as all arrangements are being made to meet the drinking water requirements of Greater Hyderabad,” HMWS&SB managing director K Ashok Reddy told TOI.
HMWS&SB has been supplying over 580 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Greater Hyderabad, peripheral areas, several colonies up to the Outer Ring Road and also municipalities and gram panchayats under Mission Bhagiratha scheme. Of the 580 MGD, 270 MGD i.e., 1.38 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) per month is being drawn from Nagarjunasagar. From Godavari, the board has been drawing 163 MGD i.e., 0.84 tmc ft every month. The water board has written to the irrigation department to maintain water level at 515 feet in Sagar with a storage of 131 tmc ft.
Telangana irrigation engineer-in-chief Anil Kumar said the AP govt has agreed to stop utilising water for agriculture needs from Nagarjunasagar. “We will try to maintain 515 feet at Sagar and we have kept 18 tmc ft for drinking water requirements of the city. Still, the Board may have to pump water if the monsoon is delayed,” Anil Kumar said.
GFX (UNEDITED):
Total drinking water is being supplied in city: 581 MGD
Water is being drawn from Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Manjeera, Singur, Nagarjunasagar and Sripada Yellampally
270 MGD is being drawn from Nagarjunasagar under Krishna Phase I, II and III
For next five months, about 7 tmcft of water is required from Krishna
HMWS&SB is getting ready for emergency pumping
On Feb 1, the water level at Nagarjunasagar was 552 feet (ft) against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 590 ft. It fell to 530 feet by Feb 28 and dipped further to 521 feet on March 12 and on April 6, it further plummeted to 516 feet. Similarly, the water level at Srisailam project was 853 feet against the FRL of 885 ft on Feb 1, 2025, and now (April 6) it stands at just 819 feet. At Yellampally on the Godavari river, the situation seems to slightly better with the present water level at 469 feet against its FRL of 485 feet. Officials said Yellampally received some inflows due to the recent rains and agriculture usage was almost over in that area.
Officials attribute the dwindling water levels in the Krishna basin projects to hot weather conditions, depletion of ground water and water usage for irrigation purpose. The present water level can provide drinking water for the next 20-25 days before it hits the critical 510 ft minimum draw down level (MDDL), where water drawl is difficult by gravity and HMWS&SB might have to switch to emergency pumping.
“We are preparing for emergency pumping if the water level in Nagarjunasagar further dips to 510 feet. We hope water at Puttamgandi (an offtake point for Krishna water in Nalgonda district) may be utilised for another 10 to 15 days. We are expecting some problem during the peak summer in May, but there is no need for any panic as all arrangements are being made to meet the drinking water requirements of Greater Hyderabad,” HMWS&SB managing director K Ashok Reddy told TOI.
HMWS&SB has been supplying over 580 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Greater Hyderabad, peripheral areas, several colonies up to the Outer Ring Road and also municipalities and gram panchayats under Mission Bhagiratha scheme. Of the 580 MGD, 270 MGD i.e., 1.38 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) per month is being drawn from Nagarjunasagar. From Godavari, the board has been drawing 163 MGD i.e., 0.84 tmc ft every month. The water board has written to the irrigation department to maintain water level at 515 feet in Sagar with a storage of 131 tmc ft.
Telangana irrigation engineer-in-chief Anil Kumar said the AP govt has agreed to stop utilising water for agriculture needs from Nagarjunasagar. “We will try to maintain 515 feet at Sagar and we have kept 18 tmc ft for drinking water requirements of the city. Still, the Board may have to pump water if the monsoon is delayed,” Anil Kumar said.
GFX (UNEDITED):
Total drinking water is being supplied in city: 581 MGD
Water is being drawn from Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Manjeera, Singur, Nagarjunasagar and Sripada Yellampally
270 MGD is being drawn from Nagarjunasagar under Krishna Phase I, II and III
For next five months, about 7 tmcft of water is required from Krishna
HMWS&SB is getting ready for emergency pumping
