Singur Dam Repairs Spark Urgent Drinking Water Crisis For Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The planned repairs to the Singur Dam, which meets a third of Hyderabad’s drinking water needs and irrigates 66,000 acres of land in Sangareddy and Medak districts, have left authorities facing a complex challenge — there is no alternative. An expert committee constituted for the purpose is scheduled to meet on November 19 with representatives from the HMWS&SB, Mission Bhagiratha and other agencies to explore options. The Singur dam supplies about 6.96 tmc ft of water annually, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the city’s drinking water requirement. Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Madhapur, Gachibowli, Puppalguda and Manikonda, among others, depend heavily on this supply. According to official sources, proposals to augment water from the Godavari and Krishna rivers and Mallannasagar reservoirs are under consideration. Meeting such a large demand require detailed evaluation by the expert committee. On the irrigation front, there appears to be no viable alternative source for the 66,000 acres dependent on Singur water, including 40,000 acres in Sangareddy and another 26,000 acres under the Ghanpur anicut in Medak district. Farmers have been advised to observe a crop holiday or switch to less water-intensive crops during the repair period. Singur supplies about 5.7 tmc ft of drinking water annually to the former unified Nizamabad and Medak districts under Mission Bhagiratha. These regions may have to rely on downstream water from the Manjeera barrage during the repair window. Based on the expert committee’s recommendations, the state government plans to empty the Singur reservoir beginning December to facilitate critical repairs on the damaged earth bunds and structural components. During this period, the reservoir’s capacity will be reduced to approximately 0.85 tmc ft. Repair work is expected to end in July next, in time for the next monsoon, though the timeline may be extended depending on progress.



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