The twin reservoirs — Osmansagar and Himayatsagar — have dashed the hopes of city residents yet again, by receiving only a trickle of water despite heavy rains for close to a week.
The city has been experiencing continual showers for the past one week, with respite of only a day.
The heavy to very heavy rains which enveloped the whole state, have ensured that all the lakes are filled to the brim.
Some of the lakes have begun to overflow too.
Not the twin reservoirs dating back to Asafjahi-era though. They have remained as dry as ever, with grass growing far and wide within the full tank level.
As per the daily report of the water board, for a capacity of 3.9 tmcft, the Osmansagar reservoir now holds mere 0.024 tmcft of water, while Himayatsagar holds 0.256 tmcft of water against the capacity of 2.967 tmcft.
The same day last year, the reservoirs had 0.316 tmcft and 0.436 tmcft of water respectively.
Water levels too have plummeted in both the reservoirs. Osmansagar with a full tank level of 1,790 feet, now has water up to only 1,754 feet, and Himayatsagar with a full tank level (FTL) of 1763.5 feet, is now down to 1,737 feet.
Last year on the same day, the water levels hovered at about 1,764 feet and 1,741.5 feet respectively for both the reservoirs.
Activists have long attributed the depleting water levels to rapid urbanisation of the catchment area, and rampant illegal construction in violation of government orders.
‘Not much rainfall’
Water board officials, however, maintain that the catchment areas have not received much rainfall, and hope is that more rains in the coming days could see the reservoirs full. Singur too has the same predicament, they said.
The last time the lakes were filled up to FTL was more than 10 years ago, say experts. “Check dams constructed upstream and excavations for various purposes have contributed to the depletion of water in the reservoirs. The lakes might dry up in future, unless government takes a decision to fill them up using water from Krishna or Godavari rivers,” says G. Rameshwar Rao, a retired Director of water board and Chairman, Institution of Engineers. MD, HMWS&SB M.Dana Kishore could not be reached for comment.