Hyderabad: Iconic water bodies go parched year after year

While the area of 'water spread' in Himayat Sagar spreads over 7.6 square kilo meters, the catchment area covers almost 505.00 square miles (1307.95 Sq.Km) encompassing 51 km of the Qutub Shahi Lake. However, the lake which once considered as a major source of drinking water to Hyderabad city is gradually shrinking. Similar is the situation of Osman Sagar

Hyderabad: The monsoon stuck to its date and the city witnessed good rainfall in the past few days but Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar has not received any fresh inflows.

While the storage level of Himayat Sagar stood at 17.30.5 ft recorded on Friday out of lowest sluice level of 1780 feet, the Osman Sagar storage level too is low.

"Himayat Sagar, with a permanent storage capacity of 1763.5 ft, has received 12 mm rainfall on Friday while 25 mm downpour was recorded on June 11 with a shortfall of 13 mm in the last 24 hours.

Despite monsoon showers, the storage level stood at 1,730.55 during the same period of 24 hours," informed sources.

"Though the city received good rainfall, there are no inflows received in Himayat Sagar from the upstream areas. Improvement in storage level completely depends on fresh inflows and this could be possible only through good rains this year," the sources added.

While the area of 'water spread' in Himayat Sagar spreads over 7.6 square meters, the catchment area covers almost 505.00 square miles (1307.95 Sq.Km) encompassing 51 km of the Qutub Shahi Lake.

However, the lake which once considered as a major source of drinking water to Hyderabad city is gradually shrinking.

Similar is the situation of Osman Sagar, another resource of fresh water, where the water level recorded is settled down at 0.02 tmcft i.e., equivalent to 1,753 feet below dead storage.

This means no inflows continue into the lake since several years. "There is no change in the situation here as well.

Monsoon showers are being registered only in city areas while the lake is not getting replenished. We are pinning hopes on the forecast of the Indian Meteorological Department which had suggested good rains this season," informed another official.