Drinking water crisis likely to hit people in Karimnagar town, 494 habitations

Besides Karimnagar town, 494 habitations in three segments are also supplied drinking water from LMD under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme. These habitations are also likely to face hardships for drinking water as summe sets in.

Karimnagar: People in Karimnagar town are likely to face severe drinking water problems in summer with the water levels in Lower Manair Dam, the lone water source for the town, falling drastically.

Besides Karimnagar town, 494 habitations in three segments are also supplied drinking water from LMD under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme. These habitations are also likely to face hardships for drinking water as summe sets in.

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At present, 5.7 TMC of water is available in LMD as against its storage capacity of 24 TMC. Only 3.6 TMC of water will be available for utilization since 2.096 TMC is dead storage. Every day, about 143 cusecs of water is required to quench the thirst of 494 habitations. This means, according to officials, that it might not be possible to continue regular water supply for the next three months. LMD is getting 3000 cusecs of water from Mid Manair Reservoir. Though officials claimed this would be continued up to April 10, it is not clear how far it would be implemented.

On the other hand, Karimnagar Municipal Corporation authorities have already cut down on the water supply. Instead of the regular daily supply, water is being supplied on alternate days for the last few days. Release of more water to its ayacut and non-lifting of Godavari water from the Kaleshwaram project were said to be the reasons for the shortage of water. Release of water through Kakatiya canal was slated to be stopped by March 31. However, it was extended to April 2. In order to supply water to standing crops up to Khammam and Suryapet, the State government has decided to continue water release for two more days.

The previous BRS government had issued a GO 885 instructing officials to always maintain 13.158 tmc of water in LMD. Violating the GO, water has been released from the project. Opposition parties wanted the State government to overcome the problem by bringing water from the SRSP project wherein 16 TMC is available. Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar, who visited the LMD on Monday, said the present difficult situation had emerged only because of non-utilization of Kaleshwaram water. He warned to stage a dharna at LMD if the water body was not filled with water.

Reacting to the issue, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar expressed hope that there would be no drinking water crisis since there was 5.70 TMC in LMD and 8.78 TMC in MMR.