Civic bodies & water board officials hold talks on mitigating El Nino impact | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: With the city facing the prospect of a water shortage next summer, civic bodies and the water board are planning a coordinated push to conserve groundwater, make treated wastewater the preferred source for construction and commercial use, and expand rainwater harvesting across the city.The commissioners of GHMC, Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Medchal-Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation, along with the HMWSSB managing director and HYDRAA commissioner, discussed the measures at a workshop on El Nino contingency organised by NAREDCO Telangana in collaboration with CREDAI Hyderabad on Thursday.HMWSSB managing director K Ashok Reddy said, “The first priority for groundwater should be for domestic consumption across the city. Commercial establishments must look at alternative sources.” He said the city could face a shortfall of around 100 million gallons per day (MGD), as Manjira-Singur reservoirs approach depletion and groundwater recharge remains poor. The board is working to secure an additional 40 MGD through a pending scheme and another 50-60 MGD from alternative sources, but a deficit of 40-50 MGD could still remain.To facilitate this, the water board has installed filling stations at 30 STPs and introduced a digital Green Tanker platform through which industries and builders can procure treated wastewater. The supply is priced at ₹25, with users able to arrange their own tankers or book deliveries. The board is also planning to revive non-functional STPs in large residential complexes and install separate electricity meters to monitor their functioning and ensure treated water is reused.Cyberabad commissioner G Srijana said the corporation would continue using treated water for landscaping, construction and cleaning even after the current crisis. It also plans to build rainwater-harvesting structures in every ward, with the civic body and residents sharing responsibility for their installation. “It is not a regulatory approach; it is a participatory approach,” she said.Meanwhile, HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath warned that illegal commercial borewells and large-scale groundwater extraction were adding to the pressure on local sources. He said the agency had acted against such operations following complaints and would continue its enforcement efforts.
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