Godavari waters for Musi no more a mirage
KCR planned the Godavari-Musi link when the Kaleshwaram project was redesigned
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s announcement of flushing the polluted Musi river with the pristine Godavari waters has obviously stumped the opposition, but the fact is that the Chief Minister had factored it in this plan when he redesigned the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The Godavari-Musi is a well-planned component of KLIS that was to serve as a precursor to the Musi River Front project. The interlinking of Godavari with Musi is also expected to substantially reduce groundwater pollution in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Yadadri-Bhongir and Nalgonda districts.
As per the plan, 700 cusecs of water will be brought to Osman Sagar (Gandipet) and Himayat Sagar from the 15 tmc capacity Kondapochamma Sagar every day. Water from Kondapochamma Sagar positioned at a height of 618 metres above sea level will be released to its canal network and will flow through gravity because of its location. The 127 km Sangareddy canal meant for irrigation and being built on war-footing will bring the Kondapochamma Sagar water to the twin reservoirs of Hyderabad.
KLIS Engineer in Chief (Hyderabad) Hariram Naik told Telangana Today that the Sangareddy canal, in fact, has been designed to carry 5,054 cusecs, of which 4,354 cusecs will be used for irrigation purposes and 700 cusecs to first cleanse Musi and subsequently fill the Musi reservoir in Nalgonda district with Godavari water. For this purpose, water will be diverted to Ravilkot tank near Shamirpet lake from the 27th km of Sangareddy canal. From Ravilkot, the water will travel to the twin reservoirs in Hyderabad covering a distance of 52 km. The government, however, is working on two options to cover the 52 km distance.
The Full Reservoir Level of Osman Sagar is 545 metres and water from Kondpochamma Sagar which is at a level of 618 metres will be feasible. Similarly, the FRL of Himayat Sagar is 357.25 metres and sending water from Osman Sagar to Himayat Sagar will also be easy, Naik said, adding that the water works department is also mulling another option of repairing and reopening an existing pipeline between the two reservoirs.
However, an alternative plan to link Sangareddy canal with the twin reservoirs is also under consideration. The aim is to divert the water with the help of a 22 km long pipeline from the 104.250 km point of the 127 km Sangareddy canal.
Naik said work on Sangareddy canal had already begun and the diversion of water at Ravilkot to Gandipet will have to be undertaken by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. “Of the 85 km distance from Kondapochamma Sagar to the twin reservoirs of Hyderabad, the water resources department will up 27 km of canal work and the HMWSSB will have to complete 52 km of the remaining course,” he said.
The water resources department is planning to fill Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs with 3.5 tmc each once the interlinking of Godavari with Musi is completed. It is hoped that the increase of water levels in both the reservoirs will raise the water table in the vicinity of 15 to 20 km. The KLIS water will then be released into Musi River to lessen the pollution content and increase dissolved oxygen levels in the highly polluted river.
The State government, under its Strategic Nala Development Project (SNDP), will construct several Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP) which will purify the water before letting them into Musi restricting further pollution of the river.
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