Hyderabad’s drinking water supply is set to increase by 20 million gallons per day (MGD) from November, with the Telangana government preparing to draw the additional water from Mallannasagar reservoir to support uninterrupted supply to the city’s core area.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju announced the plan after reviewing drinking-water arrangements in view of the anticipated impact of an El Niño pattern. Officials said the pipeline project connecting Mallannasagar to Hyderabad is expected to be completed in November, allowing the city to access the additional allocation.
The government is also preparing a broader plan to make another 60 MGD available for Hyderabad. This would include 15 MGD from the Krishna river, 40 MGD through Mission Bhagiratha and 5 MGD from Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar. The city’s core area currently receives about 560 MGD from Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Manjeera, Krishna and Godavari sources.
Mallannasagar has about 5,000 million cubic feet (TMC) of water available, according to officials who attended the review meeting. The reservoir is located in the Godavari basin and forms part of the Kaleshwaram project. The decision to use it for Hyderabad comes despite the Congress government’s earlier opposition to the project while it was in the Opposition.
The previous BRS government had planned to transfer Godavari water to Hyderabad through the Kondapochamma reservoir. The Congress government later announced a scheme to divert 20 TMC of water from Mallannasagar at an estimated cost of ₹7,360 crore. The latest plan is focused on bringing an additional 20 MGD to the city once the pipeline works are completed.
The measures also address water availability in Medak, Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Sangareddy districts, which depend on the Manjeera and Singur reservoirs. The government said alternative arrangements would be made for these districts because of limited water availability in their reservoirs. Borewells and other alternative sources have already been identified, officials said.
Jaju said drinking water was being given the highest priority and that there was no shortage of funds for the measures. He also appealed to residents to conserve water and cooperate with efforts to maintain uninterrupted supply during a period of anticipated climate-related stress.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to take stringent action against wastage, particularly the use of Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board drinking water for washing vehicles. He said conserving 20 per cent of water across the three municipal corporations in Greater Hyderabad could save about 80 MGD a day. The Mallannasagar pipeline project and the planned alternative supplies are expected to determine the next phase of Hyderabad’s drinking-water security in November.
