Gandipet totally dry, city turns to Krishna

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to stop drawal of water from Osmansagar, popularly known as Gandipet, since it has almost dried up.

This will result in a shortfall of 15 million gallons of water (MGD) per day. The Water Board used to draw 15 MGD water every day from Osmansagar and supply it to the city.

Although the Water Board has decided to divert 15 MGD from Krishna Phase-I or Phase-II to overcome the shortage and supply it to areas that were fed from Osmansagar, the diversion is likely to result in curtailment of water supply, including reverting to alternate day water supply in several localities, that are presently getting water supply every day.

From April, the Water Board had quietly reverted to alternate day supply in several areas of the city. Now, with Gandipet shutting down, a large number of areas in the city that were getting daily water supply, will be affected and water will be supplied on alternate days.

The Water Board, Director (Technical), Mr S.P. Sarma, confirmed to this correspondent that they will not draw water from Osmansagar as the water is at dead storage level.

“Though we had set up heavy power motors to pump water even from dead storage levels, we have decided not to do so as the quality of water may not be that good. We will adjust the shortfall from Krishna and other sources,” he said.