The Hindu : Normal rain inadequate to fill reservoirs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Normal rain inadequate to fill reservoirs

By K.V.S. Madhav

HYDERABAD June 13. The heavens have opened up finally, but will they fill the dried-up Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs? The answer, unfortunately, is no. As of now, the inflows are all but a trickle. The sight of both the reservoirs filled to the brim, in all probability, could take a couple of good monsoons.

``It is impossible to correlate between the amount of rainfall and the volume of inflows into the reservoirs. Pin-point measurement is not possible. But, historically normal rain during the entire month of June would bring in 0.1 tmc of water into each of the reservoirs every year,'' the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board managing director, M.G. Gopal told The Hindu here on Friday.

Now, 0.1 tmc of water would translate into 1.7 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) for the entire year. The HMWSSB is supplying about 115 MGD of water as on date predominantly from Singur and Manjeera reservoirs with supplies from both Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs literally reduced to nothing.

As against 0.1 tmc of fresh inflows in the month of June into Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs, their storage capacities at Full Tank Level are 3.9 TMC and 2.967 TMC respectively. At this rate, it is clear that the reservoirs require a couple of good monsoons and copious inflows from the catchment areas to be full again.

But, therein lies the catch. It is not a programmed process. Various factors like the intensity of the monsoon, rainfall in the catchment areas, seepage and ground water recharge, the status of feeder channels that carry the water all decide the quantum of inflows into the reservoirs. "It's a complicated process more so given the large expanse of the catchment areas of the reservoirs,'' he pointed out.

``But, June's 1.75 MGD from each of the reservoirs forms a small, but significant contribution to the total volume of the supplies to the City,'' he said.

Will this June also bring in the same quantum to the reservoirs or will a major portion of it turn into seepage given the fact that the reservoirs are nothing but miles of dry stretches.

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