Drinking water crisis looms over Telangana as reservoirs shrink

Telangana is heading towards a potential drinking water crisis as deficient monsoon rains, coupled with the impact of El Nino, have sharply depleted reservoir storage and groundwater reserves, raising concerns over the State’s preparedness to tackle an emerging water emergency.

With July already halfway through and no widespread rainfall in sight, major reservoirs supplying drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha are rapidly approaching dead storage levels. In several



habitations, drinking water is already being supplied only once a week, indicating the growing stress on water resources.

The State’s 29 reservoirs, which feed 123 water treatment plants under Mission Bhagiratha, are the primary source of drinking water for rural habitations. Against a combined storage capacity of 1,059 TMC ft, all major reservoirs currently hold only 333.44 TMC ft, a steep decline from 522.31 TMC ft recorded during the corresponding period last year.