Hyderabad to Get Additional 20 MGD Drinking Water from Mallannasagar in November

Telangana plans to supply Hyderabad with an additional 20 MGD of drinking water from Mallannasagar reservoir from November. Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju also outlined conservation measures, alternative supplies for four districts and plans to prevent drinking water wastage across Greater Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to draw an additional 20 million gallons per day (MGD) of water from Mallannasagar reservoir to meet Hyderabad’s drinking water needs, with the supply expected to begin in November.

The decision comes despite the Congress government’s earlier criticism of the Kaleshwaram project, of which Mallannasagar is a key component. The announcement was made by Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju rather than Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy or Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, both of whom had criticised the project while in the Opposition.

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Jaju, who reviewed drinking water supply measures in view of the anticipated El Niño pattern on Tuesday, said arrangements were being made to draw an additional 20 MGD from Mallannasagar from November to ensure uninterrupted supply to Hyderabad’s core area. A plan had also been drawn up to make an additional 60 MGD available to meet the city’s requirements.

The Chief Secretary said 560 MGD of drinking water was being supplied to Hyderabad’s core area, primarily from Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Manjeera, Krishna and Godavari sources.

In addition, the government plans to source another 60 MGD, comprising 15 MGD from the Krishna river, 40 MGD through Mission Bhagiratha and five MGD from Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar.

Officials told the meeting that Mallannasagar had five thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water available. The pipeline project to transport water from the reservoir to Hyderabad was expected to be completed in November, enabling the city to draw an additional 20 MGD.

Mallannasagar, located in the Godavari basin, is part of the Kaleshwaram project, a flagship initiative of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. While in the Opposition, the Congress had opposed its construction, arguing that storing 50 TMC feet of water could trigger earthquakes.

The previous BRS government had planned to transfer Godavari water to Hyderabad through the Kondapochamma reservoir. The Congress government subsequently announced a scheme to divert 20 TMC of water from Mallannasagar at an estimated cost of ₹7,360 crore.

In view of the anticipated impact of El Niño, Jaju appealed to the public to conserve water and cooperate with the government’s efforts to ensure uninterrupted supplies.

Alternative arrangements would be made to ensure drinking water supply to Medak, Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Sangareddy districts, which depend on the Manjeera and Singur reservoirs. These measures were necessary because of limited water availability in the reservoirs. Borewells and other alternative sources had already been identified in the districts.

The government was according the highest priority to drinking water supply, and there was no shortage of funds for the purpose, Jaju said.

He added that conserving just 20 per cent of water across the three municipal corporations in Greater Hyderabad could save around 80 MGD a day. He directed officials to take stringent measures to prevent wastage, particularly the use of drinking water supplied by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) for washing vehicles.