Telangana unlikely to face drinking water shortage; major reservoirs hold sufficient water for domestic needs

A view of Singur dam in Sangareddy district on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) | Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF Telangana is unlikely to face any drinking water shortage in the coming months , as major reservoirs hold sufficient water for domestic needs. The State is also expected to receive fresh inflows following the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast of heavy rainfall, said Mission Bhagiratha Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) G. Krupakar Reddy.Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy said the available water in reservoirs, coupled with the anticipated inflows following the forecast of heavy rainfall, would be sufficient to meet drinking water requirements. The assurance comes amid heightened preparedness by the State government to tackle the possible impact of El Niño. A recent review by Mission Bhagiratha identified the Singur reservoir in Sangareddy district as the most critical source of drinking water supply in the State.Mission Bhagiratha’s 34 major reservoirsTelangana has 34 major reservoirs under the Mission Bhagiratha network, including 20 in the Godavari basin and 14 in the Krishna basin, such as Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar, Jurala, Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP), Lower Manair Dam (LMD), Mid Manair Dam (MMD), Sripada Yellampally project and Mallanna Sagar.24,001 Mission Bhagiratha habitationsOfficial sources said drinking water supply remained largely stable across the State. Of the 24,001 Mission Bhagiratha habitations, 23,455 are currently receiving water supply, with nearly 81% falling under the “green” category. Among the 145 Urban Local Bodies, 130 are receiving full bulk water supply, 10 are under partial supply and five are not receiving bulk supply through Mission Bhagiratha.1,000 habitations under “red” categoryHowever, more than 1,000 habitations have been classified under the “red” category, with power supply interruptions cited as the primary reason for disruption in drinking water supply.As part of the State’s El Niño preparedness strategy, field engineers have been directed to monitor reservoir levels on a daily basis and prioritise drinking water. They were also asked to ensure alternative drinking water sources such as hand pumps, open wells and backup motors remain operational. The department has identified over 56,000 hand pumps and thousands of standby motors for emergency use.SRSP storage relatively lowMeanwhile, reservoir data released on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) showed that storage in the Sri Ram Sagar Project remained substantially lower than during the corresponding period last year. The reservoir’s water level stood at 1,065.30 feet against the full reservoir level of 1,091 feet, with storage of 16.405 TMC compared with its gross capacity of 80.5 TMC. During the same period last year, the reservoir had a water level of 1,075 feet and storage of 32.897 TMC, reflecting a decline of over 16 TMC.Meanwhile, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka appealed to the public to make water conservation a people’s movement under the Telangana Jalasiri programme. Addressing women members of Self-Help Groups on Tuesday, she urged them to lead efforts to conserve every drop of rainwater and promote groundwater recharge by allowing rainwater to percolate into the soil. Published - July 29, 2026 12:59 pm IST