The Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced that the polluted Musi river would be refreshed with the pristine waters of Godavari. This initiative was taken into consideration by the Chief Minister in redesigning the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Plan.

A well-planned part of KLIS, the Godavari-Musi was to operate as a precursor to the Musi River Front. The Godavari is expected to be interlinked in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Yadadri-Bhongir and Nalgonda with Musi and to significantly reduce the pollution of groundwater.

The scheme involves a regular transport of 700 cusecs of water from 15 tmc Kondapochamma Sagar from Osman Sagar (Gandipet) and Himayat Sagar. At 618 metres, water from Kondapochamma Sagar is to be released into its canal system and flows by gravity due to its location.

The 127km of the Sangareddy Canal planned for irrigation and being built on war-footing brings water to the twin reservoir of Hyderabad by the Kondapochamma Sagar.

Plans for Linking Godavari Water to Musi 

The KLIS Chief engineer Hariram Naik stated that as a matter of fact, 5,054 cusecs of which 4,354 will be used in irrigation and 700 cusecs for initial purification of Musi and subsequently filling in the Musi reservoir with Godavari water in Nalgonda district were planned for the Sangareddy canal.

To this end, water will be moved from the 27th kilometre of Sangareddy Canal to the Ravilkot tank near shamirpet lake. The water will flow from Ravilkot to the Hyderabad twin reservoirs for 52 km. However, the government is working on two options for covering 52 km.

Osman Sagar's full reservoir level is 545 metres, and 618 metres is possible for water from Kondpochamma Sagar. Similarly, Himayat Sagar has a FRLof 357.25 metres and it would also be fast, Naik added, to send water from Osman Sagar to the Himayat Sagar, which is also considering the possibility of restoring and re-opening an existing pipeline between the two reservoirs.

An alternative plan is also being considered to connect the Sangareddy canal with the double reservoirs. The objective is to divert water from the 104.250-kilometre point of Sangareddy Canal with a 22-kilometre long pipeline.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board already began work on the Sangareddy canal and the water diversion from Ravilkot to Gandipet would have to be undertaken. The water reservoir department will increase the canal work by 27 km, and the HMWSSB will have to complete the 52-km remaining course, from the 85 km distance from Kondapochamma Sagar to the twin reservoirs of Hyderabad.

Once the Godavari and Musi rivers are linked, the water resources departments aim to fill Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar's reservoirs with 3.5 tonnes. Increased levels of water in both reservoirs are projected to raise the water table by 15 to 20 kilometres. In order to minimise pollution levels and increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the heavily polluted river, also KLIS water is released into the Musi River.

The State Government will construct a host of wastewater treatment plants (STPs) under its Strategic Nala Development Project (SNDP) before they are released into Musi, mitigating additional river pollution.

By: Shailaja K