The Hindu - Andhra Pradesh 12.08.2009
GVMC seeks more water from Yeleru canal
Staff Reporter
| Additionally, it is pumping water from LI scheme at Kateru |
Situation turns grim following poor inflows into reservoirs
Corporation asked to draw only 50 cusecs from Yeleru canal
VISAKHAPATNAM: To tide over the situation arising out of meagre inflows into reservoirs that provide water to the city, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is pumping water from the Godavari lift irrigation scheme at Kateru.
The water situation has been difficult following poor inflows into the reservoirs. Rain, since the North East monsoon has set in, has not been adequate to improve the levels in the reservoirs though rainfall has been described as “normal.” Recently, the GVMC has been asked to draw only 50 cusecs instead of the 250 cusecs it has been drawing from the Yeleru canal, mainly meant for irrigation.
District Collector J. Syamala Rao had held a meeting with Municipal Commissioner B. Sridhar and other officials on Monday to review the water situation. At the meeting, it was decided that the GVMC should write a letter to the Irrigation Department to release more water from the Yeleru canal to meet the needs of the city and that of the steel plant and the NTPC.
Repeat of 2004
A letter has been addressed through the Collector to the Principal Secretary (Irrigation) urging that 150 cusecs of water be released to the GVMC.
“As of now, the water levels in the reservoirs are poor. The situation can be compared to 2004 when the city experienced a lean season,” said an official of the GVMC.
Besides urging the Irrigation Department for release of more water, the GVMC is using two motors to pump about 100 cusecs of water at Kateru. The pumping of water together with the augmentation from Yeleru canal is expected to give about 64 mgd of water adequate to meet the city’s needs, explained the official.
