The Singur reservoir, a key drinking-water source for western Hyderabad and hundreds of local bodies and rural habitations, has water available only until November 9 at current supply levels, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. Emergency pumping from the reservoir’s dead storage level could extend supplies until December 10.
As of October 17, the reservoir held 3.416 tmc ft of water. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is making alternative arrangements to augment supplies to areas of Hyderabad currently served by Singur, while officials work on a separate plan for the rural and urban local bodies dependent on the reservoir.
Singur supplies western sections of Greater Hyderabad as well as interior areas including Khairatabad. The reservoir and the Manjeera barrage also support drinking-water supply under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme across four districts.
The reported coverage includes 852 rural habitations and 12 urban local bodies in Sangareddy district, 805 rural habitations and two urban local bodies in Medak, 202 rural habitations and one urban local body in Nizamabad, and 536 rural habitations and three urban local bodies in Kamareddy. Together, the system serves 2,395 rural habitations and 18 urban local bodies, in addition to parts of Hyderabad.
The immediate supply position creates two linked administrative challenges. Hyderabad’s water utility is working on alternative arrangements for the city areas supplied by Singur, while the rural habitations and smaller urban local bodies will require arrangements through the panchayat raj and public health departments.
According to the report, groundwater sources are expected to be used in rural areas once reservoir supplies run out. Tankers may also be deployed where groundwater cannot meet requirements or where additional supply is needed. Such arrangements would shift the system from a centralised reservoir network to a combination of local groundwater extraction and transported water.
The panchayat raj department has written to the engineer-in-chief of the public health and municipal engineering department seeking alternative supply arrangements for the affected urban local bodies from December 10. This date marks the reported outer limit of supplies if emergency pumping from the reservoir’s dead storage is undertaken.
The situation affects both metropolitan and non-metropolitan consumers because the same water source serves Hyderabad, smaller municipalities and rural settlements. The next operational milestones are the proposed augmentation of Hyderabad’s supplies, the assessment of alternative sources for the affected local bodies and the arrangements to be finalised for the period after December 10.
