Kurnool:Kurnool city, with a population of around 6.5 lakh spread across 52 municipal divisions, is likely to be blessed with a long-term solution for its drinking water problem.The civic body has completed a feasibility study to draw water from multiple sources, including the Tungabhadra, Handri, Sunkesula and Gorukallu reservoirs, under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.The city is divided into 52 council wards, of which 33 fall under the Kurnool assembly constituency, 16 under Panyam, and 3 under Kodumuru. More than 95 per cent of the households in these wards depend on municipal supply for their daily water needs.The city’s requirement stands at 70–75 million litres per day while the available supply often drops to 50–55mld, especially during the summer months.The problem becomes severe whenever the Tungabhadra river runs dry, leaving the city vulnerable to shortages. To address this, the authorities have planned to store 1.2tmc-ft of water at the Sunkesula reservoir in advance. Since Kurnool requires slightly over 1tmc of water annually, this measure could ensure a year-round supply.However, a concern is that adequate flows into Sunkesula are not always available.A coordination committee has been constituted with officials from the municipal administration, public health engineering, rural water supply, and water resources departments. The committee would prepare integrated proposals to secure a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis for the next three decades.“For now, a major step under way is the construction of a 30mld water treatment plant at Jagannathagattu. This plant is expected to meet the city’s drinking water needs for about seven months a year. To cover the remaining five months, a new pipeline will be laid from the Munagalapadu summer storage tank to Jagannathagattu,” said municipal commissioner P Viswanath.Proposals for this Rs135 crore project are being finalised under the AMRUT scheme.Officials said the comprehensive plan also considers the city’s rapid expansion, increasing demand and the need for reliable sources. Once implemented, the project is expected to stabilise supply and ensure that residents of Kurnool city do not face water shortages in the near future.
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