Hyderabad: With all the major reservoirs across Telangana drying up due to the lack of rainfall and continuous consumption, the state is facing an acute water crisis for irrigating the standing crops during the Rabi season.
If the situation continues, the state’s capital, Hyderabad, is going to witness water scarcity, while several other parts of the state are also facing a drinking water crisis.
Earlier, the state’s chief minister, A Revanth Reddy, had urged the officials to take steps necessary to avoid the water crisis in Hyderabad.
On March 27, the agriculture department submitted a report to the Telangana government, declaring that the state was nearing a drought-like situation due to lesser rainfall during the northeast monsoon season.
As per the data shown in the report, the average normal rainfall of the northeast monsoon from October to December was 113.20mm, but the actual downpour was 52.70 mm, a deficit rainfall of -53.45%.
“Normally, in Telangana State, 14% of annual rainfall is received from the North-East Monsoon. The average normal rainfall of the North-East Monsoon from October to December is 113.20 mm, and the actual rainfall is 52.70 mm, showing a deviation of -53.45% overall and a deficit,” the report said.
The agriculture department noted the actual rainfall received “from January to February is 1.1 mm as against normal 12 mm with a deviation of -90.83% overall status being Scanty.”
“Between March and May 2024, which is considered a hot season, the normal rainfall should be around 3.9 mm, but so far, only 0.2 mm of rainfall has been received,” the report said.
While the water consumption was continuing at its own pace, the water levels in almost all key reservoirs—Srisailam, Jurala, and Nagarjunasagar in the Krishna basin, Sridapasagar, Sriramsagar, Nizamsagar, Mid-Manair, Lower Manair, and Kadem—have gone rock bottom owing to the lesser rainfall.
“The cumulative storage in all the major reservoirs is 287.06 TMC as of March 27, 2024, and last year the storage at this time was 434.13 TMC. The water levels in all major reservoirs as of March 27, 2024, are furnished hereunder,” the reports stated.
Given these circumstances, the farmers are left with no other option than to rely on groundwater irrigation. But that would also lead to a reduction in groundwater levels in the state.
Currently, the average groundwater level in the state stands at 8.70 ft in February 2024, which was 7.34 ft in February 2023, as per the official data.
