Nalgonda: About 18 villages near the Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP) are experiencing severe drinking water shortages. Villages such as Guvvalagutta Thanda, Yelmalamanda, Kacharajupally, Theldevarpally, Kambalapally and Kakunuru Thanda have seen their water supply decrease, which has raised concerns about a serious crisis in the coming months.
Officials attribute the shortage to a combination of geographical factors and a significant drop in NSP water levels. The reservoir’s level has dropped to 519 feet (9 feet above the death storage threshold) – compared with the full capacity of 312 TMC, the project has only 148 TMC of water. In addition, water is being transferred for irrigation and urban supply; 290 million liters (MLD) are spreading from Akkampally balanced reservoirs to meet larger Hyderabad needs.
Residents expressed frustration at the insufficient distribution of moisture under the Bhagiratha mission, which promised 100 liters per person per day. “We only receive drinking water twice a week. On other days, we rely on the wellhead and usually produce only a small amount of water.”
Kethavath Khandriya Naik of Theldevarly added: “Even with holes up to 800 feet drilling, it’s hard to get enough water. In the summer, we are forced to buy water from RO plants to meet our needs.”
In response to growing complaints, Rural Water Supply (RWS) zoning engineer Nagesh confirmed that special measures are being formulated to address drinking water deficiency in these upper NSP areas. Regional authorities are actively exploring alternative arrangements to ensure more reliable supply to affected communities.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as NSP officials predict that water levels may reach the death reserve mark by the end of March, which could exacerbate the crisis.
