KARIMNAGAR: A severe drinking water shortage is threatening Karimnagar and its neighbouring districts as water levels at the Lower Manair Dam (LMD) have plummeted to critical levels.
With the peak summer approaching in May, official data reveals that the reservoir is drying up, raising alarms for urban and rural residents alike in Karimnagar district.
Against its total storage capacity of 24tmc, LMD currently holds only around 6tmc. Of this, 2tmc is considered dead storage, leaving a mere 4tmc accessible for use and also for release to to neighbouring districts.
The authorities said if the situation turns worse in the coming days, the remaining water must be drawn using booster pumps.
At current consumption rates, this storage can last only a month, with high temperatures expected to further accelerate depletion through evaporation.
The crisis poses a direct threat to the drinking water needs of Karimnagar, Warangal, Sircilla, Vemulawada and Siddipet regions.
Furthermore, the supply to 494 villages covered under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme is at risk. To avert a total dry-out, officials and political leaders are considering the transfer of water from the Mid Manair Dam (MMD) to replenish the LMD.
In response, a Congress party delegation, led by city Congress president Vaidyula Anjan Yadav, recently met BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar at the secretariat in Hyderabad. The delegation submitted him a representation requesting the immediate release of 3tmc of water from Mid-Manair to ensure the Karimnagar Corporation area does not face a water famine this summer.
Minister Prabhakar responded swiftly, discussing the matter with the principal secretary to irrigation, and writing to irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. The minister replied that steps were being taken to ensure consistent water supply for the public.
However, the situation at Mid-Manair Dam (MMD) is becoming tight. As of Wednesday morning, MMD holds 8.048tmc against its full capacity of 27.55tmc. With no fresh inflows from sources like SRSP or the flood flow canal, and an outflow of 435 cusecs, primarily due to supply needs and evaporation, officials are carefully monitoring the levels.
Currently, only one gate at MMD has been partially opened to manage the outflow.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
