The Hindu                 30.04.2013

Karimnagar in grip of water crisis

Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar and other towns such
as Sircilla, Siddipet and Vemulawada, which solely depend on Lower
Manair Dam (LMD) reservoir for supply of drinking water, are a worried
lot as the water level at the reservoir is depleting fast.

Against
the full storage capacity of 24 tmc of water, the reservoir presently
has 3.9 tmc which includes 2.1 tmc of dead storage level. A month ago,
the LMD reservoir had around 10 tmc of water. However, the Irrigation
Department officials, without consulting the municipal authorities,
released around 6 tmc of water for irrigation needs.

The
Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar collects water from the reservoir
to the filter bed and supply to the connections after treatment. If the
water table is 891 feet (6.5 tmc) in the reservoir, the water would
directly come to the filter bed. Now, the water table stands at 883 feet
and the MCK authorities are forced to use boosters to lift the water to
the filter bed.

If the present heat wave conditions
continue, the water table would further deplete affecting the collection
of water by other towns such as Sircilla, Vemulawada and Siddipet.
Municipal authorities are already facing the heat as it has become
difficult to supply drinking water due to inadequate intake into the
filter bed.

Former municipal corporator Y. Sunil Rao
alleged that excessive release of water to the irrigation needs and to
Warangal town without considering the requirements of Karimnagar and
other towns has led to the present crisis. “The unscientific and
visionless policies of the irrigation authorities have rendered the
Karimnagar municipality helpless, he alleged adding that drinking water
supply to the town would be bleak in future due to further depletion of
water table in the reservoir. He said that the supply of drinking water
for another two to three months is very difficult with the prevailing
situation.