Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Mudasarlova silts up, water drawing reduced

Photo: K.R. Deepak

Deceptive picture: A view of the Mudasarlova reservoir, one of the main drinking water sources for the city, on Wednesday. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: The sheet of water that appears warming up one’s heart in the Mudasarlova reservoir in midsummer is deceptive. Water is stored to maintain level in the reservoir but the quantum of water earlier drawn from it has been reduced.

Earlier, 0.4 million gallons per day (mgd) water is drawn from the reservoir for supply to parts of the city. But after silt piled up choking the filtration points the drawing is reduced to 0.2 mgd. Water from Mudarsarlova was earlier supplied to Sectors 1 to 4 of Arilova.

After the drawing is reduced, water from Gosthani is supplied to Sectors 3 and 4 of Arilova. “The Gosthani water that is pumped to the Town Service Reservoir is supplied by gravity to the two sectors of Arilova,” says Superintendent Engineer (Water Supply) of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation V. Chandrayya.

The Mudasarlova reservoir was built in 1901. It has a storage capacity of 0.5 tmc feet. Over a period of time, silt has formed though no estimates (of silt levels) are available. However, the dead water storage is designed taking into account silting and other factors because of which water is stored in it but the drawing is reduced. Even if water is not drawn storage is maintained.

However, the corporation has no plans for de-silting and instead is shifting the supply to the other sources. There are two problems related to de-silting, says Mr. Chandraiah. One is the cost involved and the other logistics. It is difficult to take the machines into the bed. Besides finding a dumping place for the silt removed is also difficult, he explains.

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