Hyderabad: The strike by the electricity employees in Seemandhra is threatening to throw the drinking water supply in the state capital out of gear.
The Water Board requires 110 MW to pump water from Krishna Phase-I and Phase-II and from Singur and Manjira. Due to insufficient water levels, water is currently being pumped from even Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, which otherwise reaches the city through gravity during this time of the season.
Greater Hyderabad is supplied 340 MGD water daily. Of this, nearly 300 MGD is pumped — consuming huge amounts of electricity — and supplied to the city. Though presently power from the southern grid is continuing uninterrupted to HMWSSB pumping stations, sources did not rule out the possibility of water supply getting affected if the power supply from the grid is affected.
“If there is any problem in the southern grid and power supply to the pumping stations of Water Board is affected, then the water supply to the city will be hit. The Water Board does not even have any contingency plan as generators cannot be used to supplement 110 MW of power,” said highly-placed sources in the Water Board.
Water Board officials have approached Central Discom and APGenco authorities requesting them to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the pumping stations. As water supply is an essential service, Discom officials have told Board officers that power to the water supply schemes would be the last to be affected if some problem arose in the southern grid.
When contacted, Water Board managing director J. Syamala Rao said that there was no need to panic. “We are continuously monitoring the situation with APCPDCL officials,” he said.
A senior official in Central Discom said that almost the whole of South India would suffer if a problem arose in the Southern grid. He, however, added that it might not happen. “The load monitoring cell will ensure that the load relief is taken wherever required so that the grid does not collapse. Also, there is a hope of the agitation slowing down temporarily for the Dasara festival,” the official added.
Source :DC
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