Govt making alternative arrangements to tackle probable drought conditions

Hyderabad: The Panchayat Raj Department is making alternative arrangements for supply of drinking water in the habitations of vulnerable villages in case of shortage due to rainfall deficit in the state arising out of the El-Nino phenomenon.

Officials of the department expect that, if the drought conditions prevail in the state, and if water does not reach Singur within 45 days, the districts like Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy (partially) and Nizamabad are likely to face drinking water crisis.

A weak monsoon has resulted in the lack of sufficient rainfall across the state. Despite monsoon reaching state on June 8, there have been no big rain spells in most parts of the state. As a result, the water levels in many reservoirs have depleted. According to official figures, as on July 9, the total water available in the major reservoirs was little over 337 TMCs against the capacity of 1,000 TMCs. The water levels in the reservoirs in the Krishna Basin seem to be problematic due to less rainfall in the region.

The officials said that they would be focusing on preparing an action plan to utilise groundwater-based schemes in the vulnerable areas. Contingency plans would be formulated in advance to address potential delays in the monsoon or deficient rainfall. “As a precautionary measure, systems are being put in place to supply water to all residential areas using local drinking water sources. In cases where local sources are unavailable, plans are being prepared for deepening or flushing existing borewells and for hiring additional borewells. The government has proactively prepared an action plan to ensure that no drinking water crisis arises due to the impact of El Niño or other factors,” said a senior official.

Officials said at the meeting that treated drinking water was being supplied to rural habitations in the state primarily from surface water sources in the Krishna and Godavari basins. Water is being supplied to rural habitations through 123 water treatment plants drawing from 29 reservoirs.

The officials are reviewing on daily basis the water availability in each reservoir to meet requirements for 45-, 90-, and 180-day periods.