Poor Southwest Monsoon: Mudasarlova reservoir completely dries up

Visakhapatnam: For the first time in the past 100 years, the Mudasarlova reservoir, one of the major drinking water source to the city, completely dried up.

As there are no rains during the Southwest Monsoon in 2017 and 2018, this nature blessed big reservoir completely dried up and thousands of fish were found dead on the dry land.

Mudasarlova reservoir spreads over 25 hectares of land with rain water being the input to the water body. According to the available information, the reservoir never dried up during the last 100 years. The reservoir, with a 1.5 MGD capacity caters to about 10,000 households and also public taps.

Mudasarlova Park is an urban park in the city, constructed in 1902 adjacent to the reservoir. As the reservoir completely dried up, the ground-water level in the vicinity of the reservoir also dipped alarmingly. In fact, Mudasarlova Park and reservoir is one of the best picnic spots. However, during the present picnic season, as there are no birds, water and greenery, the visitors are returning with disappointment.

“The rain water from the sorrounding hillocks will come to this reservoir. I never witnessed in my over 65 years of life that this reservoir completely getting dried up. For the last three years, there are no rains in and around the reservoir.

In fact during the winter season, large number of birds will come to this park, but for the past two years no birds are witnessed at the park. A large number of fish are found dead in the completely dried up reservoir,” S.Appanna, a resident of Pineapple Colony, which is close to the reservoir lamented.