Weak monsoon deepens water crisis

A prolonged dry spell during the southwest monsoon has triggered a sharp fall in reservoir storage, forcing the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to slash drinking water supply across the city and raising concerns over worsening shortages if rainfall does not improve soon.

The civic body, which normally supplies about 90 million gallons of water a day to the city’s estimated 2.5 million residents, is currently supplying around 65 million gallons, according to officials. They attributed the reduction to below-normal monsoon rainfall and the release of water from key reservoirs for irrigation during the Kharif season.

Visakhapatnam depends primarily on the Yeleru, Raivada, Tatipudi and Meghadrigedda reservoirs for drinking water, with additional supplies from the Mudasarlova and Gambhiram reservoirs and filter points on the Gosthani and Godavari rivers. While storage remains above the minimum operating level, officials said reservoir levels have been falling steadily in the absence of significant inflows.

The dwindling reserves have disrupted water supply schedules across several parts of the city. Water is now being supplied on alternate days in some localities, while the duration of supply has been curtailed in others. Residents in elevated and hilly areas, including Arilova, Kommadi, Marikavalasa and Vepagunta, have been among the worst affected.

Irregular supply has also been reported from Endada, PM Palem, Madhurawada, Shivajipalem, KRM Colony, Faker Layout and Srinivasa Nagar in Akkayyapalem, with residents struggling to cope with reduced availability.

As borewells continue to dry up across the city, dependence on water tankers has increased sharply. Apartment complexes are purchasing water from private tankers for domestic use while relying on GVMC tankers for drinking water, leading to long queues at distribution points and adding to residents’ hardships.

The GVMC has stepped up tanker operations in water-scarce areas and said efforts are being made to ensure equitable distribution of the available supply. Officials, however, warned that unless the reservoir catchments receive substantial rainfall in the coming weeks, pressure on the city’s drinking water system is expected to intensify, raising the prospect of further restrictions.