Godavari water level shrinks to a mere 6.2 ft in one month

Bhadrachalam: Exactly a month ago on September 27, the Godavari was flowing at a high level in Bhadrachalam following inflows from the Pranahita and Indravati rivers, with the water level touching 42.8 ft. Now, Bhadrachalam town is facing the prospect of drinking water shortages as the water level in the river continues to decline.

The river’s level, which stood at 10.1 ft on October 14, dropped to 6.2 ft on Monday. Although drinking water supply to households in the temple town remains unaffected for now, the continued fall in the level has raised concerns among officials and residents about the situation in the coming days.

Bhadrachalam has 15,834 domestic tap connections, with Mission Bhagiratha grid officials supplying around 7.5 million litres of drinking water daily. While government norms stipulate a supply of 400 litres per household, officials have reportedly been providing more than the prescribed quantity.

However, prolonged dry conditions, rising temperatures, and the possible impact of El Niño have raised concerns over declining water levels in rivers and reservoirs. Ensuring an uninterrupted drinking water supply could become increasingly challenging if the situation persists.

Meanwhile, the placement of sandbags to a height of around four feet at the Dummugudem anicut, upstream of Bhadrachalam, has also drawn attention. There are concerns that storing more water upstream could affect the availability of water downstream, although the extent of any impact on Bhadrachalam’s drinking water supply remains uncertain.

Sandbag barriers have traditionally been used during February and March, when the Godavari’s water level falls, to temporarily retain water. A similar situation in previous years had disrupted drinking water supply to the town, prompting district authorities to take alternative measures to address the shortage.

With the river’s flow already reduced, water released from upstream areas may lose volume before reaching Dummugudem and Bhadrachalam, according to local accounts.

However, Meteorological officials were reported to have forecast heavy rainfall in parts of Telangana over the following three days due to a weather system.Officials are hopeful that substantial rainfall could improve water availability and provide temporary relief. Rainfall in the previous month had helped prevent a further decline in the river level and supported groundwater recharge.

For now, residents and authorities are looking to the anticipated rains to ease concerns over drinking water availability in the temple town.

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The Hans India