The Hindu Business Line : North coastal AP facing scarcity of water

THERE has been sufficient rainfall in Andhra Pradesh this season, barring the three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam , along with parts of East Godavari.

Agricultural operations have been hit in this water-starved zone and Visakhapatnam in particular is facing acute water scarcity, with all the reservoirs drying up. Efforts are on to divert Godavari waters to the city.

Godavari water at present is being supplied to the steel plant and other industrial units here through the Kanithi balancing reservoir, but the filtration plant for municipal supply is not yet ready.

However, Godavari water will be diverted to the existing filtration plant as a contingency measure to tackle the water shortage in the city, according to the Commissioner of Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Mr N. Srikant.

"If there is no rainfall in the next couple of days, we will be diverting the Godavari water to the existing filtration plant to maintain the supply of drinking water on alternate days," he said.

He said the Gosthani reservoir had already gone dry and the other drinking water sources to the city - Thatipudi, Meghadrigedda and Raiwada reservoirs - would touch the danger mark in the next couple of weeks.

"Till then, Godavari waters will be diverted to the existing filtration plant to augment water supply. As a contingency measure we have laid a new pipeline to the existing plant," he said.

Erratic monsoon: The Visakhapatnam district received 333.3 mm of rainfall compared to the normal 426.4 mm. According to Mr V. Subrahmanyam, the Director-in-charge, Cyclone Warning Centre, the low rainfall is due to the position of the axis of the monsoon trough.

"Under normal south-west monsoon conditions, the axis of the trough should be positioned between Ganganagar and the north of the Bay of Bengal. But this year the axis is positioned towards the Himalayan foothills. Because of this position the southern peninsula is experiencing weaker monsoon currents.

September could be better: According to Dr Subrahmnayam, during the withdrawal stage of the monsoon there is a possibility of the axis moving towards the southern peninsula and if that happens then there might be a few more depressions over the Bay.

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