Hyderabad: With heavy rains lashing Telangana and Hyderabad, the water board is likely to open the flood gates of the Himayat Sagar. Over 200 families living on the banks of the Musi River were also shifted to the safer places in the city on Sunday.
Over the past month, the city adminsitration had been hoping for good inflows into the historic Himayat Sagar, which is about a century old.
It may be noted that the gates of the lake were opened about a decade ago until now. Burra Mahender Goud, Bandlaguda Mayor, visited Himayat Sagar on Sunday and conducted a pooja for good rain. “If there is more rainfall in the coming weeks, we will open the flood gates,” he said.
As of Sunday evening, residents of Shankernagar, Chaderghat, Moosanagar and neighbouring areas have been alerted, as there is a danger of the Musi River will raising.
Officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) have also been deployed at the Himayat Sagar dam for constant monitoring of the water levels.
The current water level on Sunday of the Himayat Sagar was 1759.40 feet as agains its Full Tank Level of 1763 feet. The water level at Osman Sagar has also risen and is now at 1771.90, as against its FTL of 1790.00 feet.
INTACH state convenor Anuradha reddy, who was also at the site on Sunday said, “The gates were lifted 10 years ago in 2010. Since then a lot of properties have come up in the catchment and floodwaters draining area, residents living in the same areas are likely to be affected. The dam is nearly 100 year old now. It is saving Hyderabad from being flooded for ages now,” she added.
“The water will be released if level it it crosses 1760 feet at Himayat sagar,” an official from the water board said. He added that the inflows into the Osman Sagar have been filling the lake as of now. According to sources, around 200 families residing in the catchment areas on the banks of Musi River. The catchment areas include Bahadurpura, Puranapul, Nayapul, Kishanbagh, and such other areas on the banks of Musi River.