Telangana Faces Mounting Water Woes as Project Levels Paint Bleak Picture

Hyderabad: With irrigation already suffering in both the Krishna and Godavari basin projects, Telangana braces for a potential drinking water crisis as major project reservoir levels present a grim outlook.

Except for the Sripada Yellampalli project, the state is left with minimal dependable water sources to combat the upcoming summer challenges. Unless rainfall comes to the rescue, serious water shortages are anticipated in May and June.

Telangana has appealed to the Karnataka government for the release of six TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water to meet drinking water needs. However, amidst election time and considering Bengaluru’s acute water shortage, cooperation may be limited despite the Congress Party being in power in both states.

As of March 20, 2024, the Sripada Yellampalli reservoir holds approximately 9.01 TMC of water, with irrigation officials estimating that around 4 to 4.5 TMC can be utilized for supplying drinking water to Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and their suburbs.

Compared to the same period last year, the reservoir’s water level has drastically reduced due to the cessation of Godavari water pumping from the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

Similarly, the Mid Manair and Lower Manair projects have seen significant declines in storage levels, with only 10.22 TMC and 5.88 TMC respectively, compared to last year’s figures.

With no scope for supplementation from KLIS, every drop becomes crucial in the current situation, officials emphasize.

In the joint projects of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the Krishna basin, Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar are expected to yield around ten TMC of water in total. However, concerns arise as reservoir levels are considerably lower than previous years, with only about seven TMC available above the Minimum Draw Down Level (MDDL) in Nagarjunasagar. Another six TMC could potentially be accessed by drawing water levels down to 506 feet.

The looming water crisis underscores the urgent need for coordinated efforts and proactive measures to address the impending challenges faced by Telangana in sustaining its water supply systems.