Hyderabad’s water blues: Lakes, rivers fall prey to urbanisation

WHEN MOHAMMAD Quli Qutab Shah founded Hyderabad on the banks of River Musi in 1591,
little did he realise that his dream city would face a drinking water crisis in less than 500
years.

River Musi is today an open drain. And the 500-odd lakes that supplied drinking water to the
twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad have either become sewage dumps or have been
encroached upon, thanks to unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation.

Since both the cities were built on a rocky terrain, the potential for using groundwater is
limited. As a result, the cities are dependent on surface water. Perhaps that’s why the
founders of Hyderabad and Secunderabad built the two cities around surface water bodies
like lakes and rivers.

The Hussain Sagar Lake, built in 1562 by Hussain Shah Wali, separates the twin cities. It
was the first drinking water source for the two cities that are spread over 78,000 hectares.

Most of the tanks in and around the city

were built during the reign of Qutub
Shah (1564-1724 AD). Apart from
Hussain Sagar, the two other major
drinking water sources were Osmana
Sagar (built in 1913) and Himayat Sagar
(1927).

The other important sources of water

Source: 1994, project report, Hyderabad Urban
Development Authority, Hyderabad.
were the Musi and Manjira rivers. River
Musi, which receives overflows from both
Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar, is no
longer a water source owing to heavy
pollution. In fact, River Musi, which once
recharged aquifers, is now a major cause
for concern as it is contaminating the
water table from which handpumps draw
water.
River Manjira, a tributary of River
Godavari, is still a source of water.

The water from Lake Hussain Sagar is now used for horticultural purposes after treatment.

With the gradual drying up of most sources, the administration has now been forced to
spend crores of rupees in trying to tap drinking water from River Krishna, which flows about
150 kilometres from the city.

Population

Like other urban cities in India, Hyderabad has witnessed a rapid increase in population.
From 1.25 million in 1961 the city's population touched 4.3 million in 1991. Its estimated
population in 2003 was over 6.8 million and the figure is likely to reach 17.7 million by
2020.
 The rapid increase in
population forced
Population of Hyderabad Hyderabad Metro Water
12 Supply and Sewerage
10.2
Population (millions)

(HMWSSB) to search for

10 8.2 new water source to
8 bridge the increasing gap
6.2
between demand and
6
supply. HMWSSB, which
4 3.3 was established in 1989,
2.5
1.2 2
2 is an autonomous body
that looks after water
0
supply and sewage
1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 disposal systems of the
metropolitan area of
Hyderabad and the 10 municipalities around the city. The board’s 5,200 qualified and
experienced technical officers, staff and workers, however, have been at a loss in trying to
bridge the gap in demand and supply of water.

Increasing water
requirement Demand, Supply and Gap

The graphs presented here 2500 2224

are based on projected
1906
1862 1906
figures. In reality, the
in Million Litres per day

2000
situation is far worse, says
1500
Mohammed Abdul Kabeer, 1105
1090 Demand
913
manager, Engineering 1000 722 680 Supply
Department, HWMSSB. 545 Gap
500 233 318
177
15
“Among the total supply of 0
680 million gallons per day 1991 1994 2001 2011-44 2021
(MLD), 94.5 MLD is from -500
ground water sources. This Source: HMWSSB
includes 6,000 hand bores of
4.5 inch diameter ranging in
depth from 150 to 200 metres and 800 power borewells of 6 inch diameter, ranging in depth
from 400 to 500 metres,” he says. What is worse, says Kabeer, is that water from most
hand pumps is not potable. Even this
Increasing Demand and Gap in Hyderabad water is not available during summers
as the shallow aquifers go dry. “Among
the total of 6,800 municipality-owned
1000 869.4
803.25 borewells in the city, water from 900
in MIllion litres per day

800 721.98 680.4 borewells have been painted red, to

548.1548.1 2001 indicate that the water is not fit for
600
2003 drinking.”
400 2004
255.15
173.88 189
200

0
Demand Supply Gap
Source : HMWSSB
According to Kabeer, HMWSSB has given out 2.8 lakh connections and maintains 500 public
stand-posts. This apart, about 300 tankers having a capacity of 5,000 litres each supply
water to slums and government schools covered under government’s free meal scheme at
no cost. A network of pipes that supplies water for about three hours on alternative days
covers about 90 per cent of the city.

Name of water body Maximum Capacity (TMC)

(Levels in feet) Past Present
Osman Sagar 1766.670 3.90 0.503
Himayat Sagar 1742.060 30.00 0.465
Singur 1698.960 1.500 8.907
Manjeera 1650.900 2.967 1.357

The water level in the dams also affects water supply in the city. In June 2003, there was a
possibility of revising the provision of water to once in every three days instead of two days.
This was due to the drying up of Osmana Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs.
In June 2003, Hyderabad witnessed an unprecedented crisis as the Osman Sagar lake dried
up for the first time in 80 years. The demand at that point had shot up from 145 to 162
MGD while supply dropped from 130MGD to 120 MGD.

Hyderabad’s water sources

History

After the state of Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956, schemes for augmenting water
supply to the twin cities were taken up to meet the increased demand. The storage capacity
of 45 MGD from Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar was just sufficient for the population of
1.2 million in 1961. For the increasing population, a barrage was constructed in 1965 across
River Manjira. The project, called Manjira Phase I, supplied 15 MGD of water to the two
cities. Phase II of the project was completed in 1972 and it added another 30 MGD to the
supply.

By 1991, the combined capacity of Manjira Phase I and II, Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar
was only about 100 MGD, while the demand for water in the two cities was 160 MGD.
Another storage reservoir was built across Manjira near Singur, upstream of the Manjira
barrage.

Surface water source and its quality

The surface water sources are Himayat Sagar, Osman Sagar, Manjira barrage and Singur
dam. The area covered by surface water bodies is about 400 hectare. The total storage
capacity of these surface water sources is 38 TMC.

Source TMC Designed Capacity in MGD Actual supply in MGD

Osman Sagar 3.90 27 17
Himayat Sagar 2.967 18 14
Singur 30.00 72 72
Manjira 1.46 45 45
Krishna River Project 5.5 90 83
 Quantity of water drawn (source)

180
160
140
120
MGD

100
80
60
40
20
0
1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2002

2003
Osman Sagar Himayath Sagar Manjira (Ph.I-V)

(Quality of the source water as on 2003; Source: K S Narasapa, deputy general manager,
Asifnagar filter bed)

Parameters Permissible Raw water Treated water

limit/ Ideal
Osman Himayat Manjira Singur Osman Himayat Manjira Singur
Sagar Sagar Sagar Sagar
Physical
Parameters
Colour Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless Colourless
Odour Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless Odourless
Taste Unobjectio Unobjecti Unobjecti Unobjecti Unobjecti Unobjection Unobjecti Unobjecti Unobjecti
nable onable onable onable onable able onable onable onable
Turbidity as 5 15-1000 20-1000 20- 10-5000 < 5 < 5 < 5 < 5
NTU 10,000
Ph 7.0 –8.5 8.2- 8.4 8.2-8.4 8.3-8.4 8.3-8.5 8.3-8.4 8.3-8.5 8.2-8.4 8.2-8.4
Electrical 500 390-410 400-420 480-520 480-420 380-400 380-400 460-480 460-480
conductivity in
Micro siemens /
cm
Chemical
Parameters
TDS mg/l – 500 240-300 240-300 240-320 240-320 220-290 230-290 230-300 230-300
Total alkalinity 200 140-180 140-180 140-180 140-180 130-160 130-180 130-180 140-180
as caco3 mg/l
Total Hardness 300 120-160 120-160 120-160 120-160 120-150 120-150 120-160 120-160
Caco3 mg/l
Chloride as CL 250 12-18 12-20 18-24 18-24 12-18 18-24 18-24 20-24
in mg / lit
Flouride as F in 1 0.3-0.4 0.30.4 0.4-0.6 0.4-0.5 0.3-0.4 0.3-0.4 0.5-0.6 0.5-0.6
mg/ lit
Nitrates as NO3 45 3-5 3-5 4-5 4-5 3-5 3-5 3-5 3-5
in mg/lit
Nitrites as No2 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Sulphate as So4 200 10-50 10-50 20-40 60-120 5-10 5-10 15-30 15-30
in mg/l
Dissovled 6.0 5.8 6.0 5.8 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.0
oxygen
Bacteriological 28 32 Innumera Innumera Innumerabl Innumera Innumera Innumera
examination ble ble e ble ble ble
Total MPN count 240 – 240- 570 540 - 540 - - - - -
of coliform 570 1600 1600
bacteria / 100
ml
Coliform Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil

‘Treated water,’ as stated in this table, refers to the quality of the water at the STP outlet.
Secondary contamination is not considered but is the primary contributor to the bad quality
of municipal water. “Considering the rise in gastroenteritis cases in the city, residents should
be advised to drink boiled water,” says C.K. George, director of health services (quoted from
The New Indian Express, March 17, 2004). At the same time, the ‘data’ obtained from the
water testing laboratory at Asifnagar filter bed shows how the gastroenteritis problem has
reduced over a period of time.

Gastroenteritis cases reported during the year 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 &
2003

Year Jan Feb March April May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total

1998 391 501 690 985 1353 872 926 1053 843 747 435 323 9119
1999 327 381 495 630 1008 607 493 344 236 255 233 195 5204
2000 263 285 439 468 499 678 893 348 170 252 237 274 4806
2001 66 67 74 67 76 82 111 94 82 119 61 64 963
2002 49 17 12 4 10 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 96
2003 3 6 4 0 1 0 0 13 0 0 0 1 28

The accuracy of this data, however, is doubtful. According to a report titled ‘Let water not
flow into private hands’ published in The Indian Express, Hyderabad, on March 18, 2004, 45
people had died in 2003 (19 in 2002) due to waterborne diseases and 13,473 were admitted
as in-patients in 2003 (5,386 in 2002).

Groundwater scenario

The key findings of the Groundwater Estimation Committee (GEC) 1997 that studied the
recharge potential of the city are as follows:

— Out of the total area of 100,000 hectares (HUDA area) only 60,000 hectares is suitable
for ground water recharge. The remaining 40,000 hectares consists of hills, dwellings, roads
etc.
— Area covered by surface water bodies is about 4000 hectares.
— Infiltration factor considered for recharge estimation is 11 per cent
— Specific yield of formation is three per cent
— Seepage factor for surface water bodies is 0.5 m per year
— The cross-sectional area for inflow and out flow of groundwater is considered to be almost
equal
— The total annual ground water recharge is 73.3 Million Cubic Meter (MCM)
— The total ground water draft is 65.7 MCM
— Thus, the amount ground water balance is 7.6 MCM
— The stage of ground water development is worked out to be 89 per cent and hence the
city falls under the dark category.
Withdrawal of groundwater for domestic and industrial use is in the order of 65 MCM through
9,000 public bore wells and 40,000 private bore wells. Since the distribution of ground water
resource and its development is not uniform throughout the area, withdrawal exceeds the
annual mean recharge in many areas resulting in situations like continuous decline in water
levels and well yields, drying of shallow wells and deterioration of ground water quality.

According to Kabeer, groundwater extraction in Hyderabad is in the order of 25 MGD

through borewells.

Groundwater level

Hyderabad’s groundwater level is depleting rapidly, says T Narashima Reddy, director, State
Groundwater Department. This is because every other house in the city uses a borewell.
Since the city has been built on hard rock, the aquifers are shallow, he adds (Source:
MWEB)

Groundwater levels are deeper in areas that do not receive (or receive too little) water
through the municipal network. The same phenomenon can be observed in heavily built up
areas where there is little scope for groundwater recharge, such as areas with multi-storied
apartments and industrial areas.

The Ground Water Department has established 30 observation wells in the metro area
during 1987 to monitor water level and quality. Under a World Bank-aided hydrology
project, the department has constructed 14 piezometer wells in the city. Water levels are
measured in observations wells during January, May, July, August, September and
November. The piezometers are programmed to record or store the water levels at intervals
of six hours.

An analysis of available data indicates that the rise and fall in water level is directly related
to rainfall and drought. The city received poor rainfall in 1985 and 1986. As a result, there
was a dip in the groundwater levels in 1987. The rainfall was much better between 1987 and
1990, and this lead to a rise in the groundwater levels.

Very good rainfall received during 1995 and 1998 resulted in a remarkable rise in water
table. But there has been a decline of water table between 1991 to 1994 and the trend is
continuing due to deficit rainfall on one hand and overexploitation of groundwater resources
on the other.

Significantly, the analysis of pre-monsoon and post-monsoon water levels indicates a

gradual reduction in the build up of average post-monsoon water levels since 1987, which
indicates a gradual fall in net ground water recharge except for the years 1995 and 1998,
which received good rainfall.
HMWSSB has set up 109 observation wells in seven operation and maintenance divisions.
The groundwater levels recorded at these wells in April 2003 was as follows:

— 24 observation wells recorded water level of 20 metres below ground level (mbgl)
— 31 observation wells recorded depth between 15 to 20 mbgl
— 29 observation wells recorded depth between 10 to 15 mbgl
— 10 observation wells were dry

Groundwater quality in the city

The State Groundwater Department collected 155 samples during 1989 to 1999 from
different areas and analysed them. They found that the Nitrate concentration in groundwater
ranges from 5.00 milligrams per litre (mg/l) to 522 mg/l. The tolerance limit is 45 mg/l in
India, while in USA it is less than 10 mg/l. In 80 per cent of the cases, the nitrate
concentration was found to exceed the tolerance limit.

According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) the quality of water has been
assessed by analysing 314 samples collected from shallow borewells, three surface water
samples and two seepage water samples. The particulars of the important constituent
ranges, average ranges and standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (ISI) are
shown in the table:
(Source: Groundwater in Urban Environment of India, CGWB)

Sl.no Constituents Range General Range ISI standards

Min Max Desirable Permissible
1 pH 6.5 8.57 6.9 – 7.7 6.5 – 8.5 No relax
2 Electrical conductivity 200 7500 700-3000 750 3000
3 Total Hardness 70 2780 150-1000 300 600
4 Calcium 14 720 50-300 75 200
5 Magnesium 3.6 272 10-120 30 100
6 Chloride 3.5 1766 50-600 250 1000
7 Sulphate 4.8 1392 25-450 200 400
8 Nitrate 1.2 760 10-300 45 100
9 Fluoride 0.17 3.3 0.5 – 1.7 1.0 1.5
Except pH and EC all other constituents are expressed in mg/l

Calcium is more than 200 mg/l in areas around Uppal, Golkonda, Yusufguda, Sanath Nagar
Jeedimetla, Bolaram Industrial area, Attapur, Hyderguda village, Sanjeevayya Park,
Kattedan, Bhulaxminagar, Nirala nagar, Doctors colony, Siri Nagar, LB Nagar.

The concentration of nitrate in Hyderabad ranges from 1.2 mg/l to 760 mg/l and the general
range is from 10 mg/l to 300 mg/l. The highest value is recorded in Siri Nagar in L.B. Nagar
municipality area. This may be due to the SIRIS industry located near by.
A higher concentration of nitrate can be observed in industrial areas such as Bollaram, Alwal,
Kattedan and residential areas such as Hyderguda, Athapur, Hayathanagar and Saroor
Nagar.

Analysis of the groundwater samples collected from the observation wells and other sources
in the twin cities indicate that the concentration of many of chemical pollutants is higher
than their permissible limits.

Groundwater pollution is acute in most densely populated urban areas, industrial areas and
areas adjoining drainage systems. The affected areas include Jeedimetla, Shapurnagar,
Qutubullahpur, Balanagar, Uppal, Ramanthapur, Fathenagar, Begumpeta, Secunderabad,
Chintal, Alwal, Amberpet, Nallakunta, Chikkadapally, Bollaram, Kachiguda, Lower tank bund,
Domalaguda, Himayatnagar, Rajendranagar and Golkonda.
K S Narasapa, deputy general manager, QAT, Asifnagar Filter Bed, says, “Strip test done
using H2S strips detect the presence of bacteriological contamination in the borewells
indicate that 900 borewells are contaminated. This is mainly due to the seepage of domestic
sewage.”

Fluoride and nitrate contamination has also been observed in the city groundwater. The
areas affected have been shown graphically in the water quality map.

According to the State Groundwater Department, the pollution due to industrial effluents and
human waste has reached alarming situation as nitrates, fluorides and other heavy metals
are present in concentrations exceeding the permissible limits.

Future water source

The city currently gets its water supply from River Krishna, which flows about 150 kilometres
away from the city. The Krishna Water Supply Project, an inter-state tribunal allocating the
Krishna waters between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, has run into rough
weather since 1989.

Besides, revenue earnings of the government are largely eroded in paying for administrative
overheads. There is certainly no money to bring water from the Krishna. So the government
has turned to the World Bank for funding. The bank insists that water prices be raised to
make the scheme viable. This would hit the poorer sections. Yet, the government is not
counting on alternatives like improving the lakes and tanks.

In November 2002, HMWSSB initiated the construction of a major water supply project. The
Krishna Water Supply Project will contribute to Hyderabad’s water supply with an extra 1130
MLD (270 MGD) by 2021 where the demand is expected to grow to 1820 MLD (400 MGD).

The table below illustrates the different phases of the project.

Phase and Stage Water tapping per year Additional Treated water to
be added per day
Phase I
Stage 1 (2002-2004) 2.75 TMC 45 MGD
Stage 2 (2004-2006) 2.75 TMC 45 MGD
Phase II (2006-2010) 5.50 TMC 90 MGD
Phase III
Stage 1 (2011-2016) 2.75 TMC 45 MGD
Stage 2 (2016-2021) 2.75 TMC 45 MGD
TOTAL 16.50 TMC 270 MGD
Source: ‘Elections Speed Up Krishna’s Flow to City,’ The New Indian Express, 4-Jan-2004, Hyderabad

Phase I of the project has been completed. HUDCO had provided Rs 350 crore in December
2002 for the project and had approved a bridge loan of Rs 150 crore.

Supply and Demand

450
400 400
400
350
300
230 230
MGD

250 Demand
191
200 160 187
153 Supply
150 145
100 Gap
100 77
45 45 60 46 43
50
0 0
0
1961 1991 2001 2003 2004 2020

The chart above depicts the growing gap between water supply and demand in the city.
Officials hope that with the Krishna Project, the gap will be bridged by 2020.

This is unlikely, as it has been proven that large scale projects are unable to deliver as per
their design capacity. For example, the first phase of the Krishna project was planned for
March 2004 but was only able to reach full capacity of 45 MGD in June 2004.

Then, there are maintenance problems as well. HMWS&SB has failed to maintain pipelines,
most notably the Osman Sagar pipelines, which are over 80 years old. This leads to
secondary contamination and reduced efficiency. The non-accounted for water (NFW) can
reach up to 30 per cent, meaning the actual provision is merely 70 per cent of the stated
figures. Finally, all reservoirs, particularly Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar are totally
dependent on rainfall. In case of deficit rainfall, crises like the one in 2003 are inevitable.

WATER TARIFF AND STRUCTURE (w.e.f. 01-06-2002)

Consumption of Rates in
water in kilo litres Rs. Per
Category
per month kilo litre
1. All water supply connections other than covered by category below
(A) where the monthly consumption is 500 kl or less Up to 30 6.00
Above 30 up to 200 10.00
Above 200 25.00
(B) where the monthly consumption exceeds 500 kl Entire consumption 25.00
2. Group Housing
Municipalities, panchayats, local Authorities, cantonment
and housing colonies (other than industrial housing Up to the agreed 6.00
colonies owned and maintained by industries) and multi- quantity 25.00
storied residential apartment complexes as defined in Above the agreed
note (1) below quantity
In case of multi-storied residential apartment complexes
where specific agreements are not entered into, the
agreed quantity is deemed to be 30 KL multiplied by the
number of residential apartments in the complex, as per
the construction plan approved by MCH/Municipality.
Monthly Minimum Charges for Categories (1) and (2) above
a) Where individual agreements are entered into with the customer for water supply, the
minimum charges agreed to in the agreement or the charges applicable to 60% of the
agreed quantity.
Rs.90 per
b) Other cases
month
c) In case where the customer's meter is not working for WS Connection Pipe
Rs./Month
more than 3 months continuously, or if the meter is Size
found to be removed or if the customer is not allowed 15mm (1/2") 90.00
fixing of meter by the HMWWSB: 20mm (3/4") 270.00
25mm (1") 600.00
40mm (1-1/2") 1500.00
50mm (2") and above 3200.00
3. Other Services
a) Water supply through tankers Tanker of 5 KL
250.00
Capacity
Tanker of 9KL
350.00
Capacity
b) Disconnection and Restoration Charges (200+200) 400.00
c) Change of Bore 1500.00
d) Meter Testing Charges 75.00
e) Change of Name 200.00
f) Meter Service Charges per month (where the meter is 15mm (1/2") 15.00
provided by HMWSSB) 20mm (3/4") 30.00
25mm (1") 50.00
Above 25mm per each
15.00
5mm of total diameter
g) Service Charges (Charges for meter reading, billing
Per inch dia per month6.00
collection,etc)
h) Charges for clearing sewerage chokages within Individual Domestic 25.00
customers premises Apartment Complexes
250.00
& non-domestic
Corporate Hospitals &
750.00
Star Hotels
Septic Tank Cleaning 750.00
Source : HMWSSB, http://www.hyderabadwater.gov.in/Tariff_Conn_Charges.htm#Part1

According to Kabeer, the cost of producing one kilo litre of water from the Krishna Project is
Rs 20 but the selling cost is less, as shown in the table above.
WATER BODIES OF HYDERABAD

Tradition of Tanks

Hyderabad has a glorious tradition of tanks built by the rulers. The first source of water
supply to Hyderabad was from Lake Hussain Sagar. Named after Hussain Shah Wali, the
lake spread over 312 hectares was built in 1562 on the tributary of River Musi. In 1891, a
slow-sand filter was set up in Narayanguda, and the lake was used to provide drinking
water. The water from this lake was sufficient for the people of Hyderabad then.

Most of the tanks in Hyderabad were built by Qutub Shah (1564-1724 AD), and his
successor Asaf Jahi (1724-1948 AD). As population grew, two other tanks, Himayat Sagar
(built in 1927) and Osaman Sagar (built in 1913) started supplying water to the twin cities
of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, which were constructed to control floods after the
inundation of the city in 1908.

Over the years, some other tanks also came up. Nawab Mir Alam, the prime minister of
Nawab Sikandar Jah Bahadur Nizam III, had constructed the Mir Alam tank on the city
outskirts in 1806. It is the first multiple-arch dam in the world. Today, the tank provides 1
million gallons of water per day to the Hyderabad zoo.

Lakes gobbled up

Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has control over 186,400 hectares
comprising the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secuderabad and 10 peripheral municipalities
besides 105 village panchayats. As per the old records, there were as many as 532 lakes.

Sadly, Hyderabad’s heritage of lakes and water bodies has had to suffer much due to
urbanisation. Here’s a gist of the state of some of them.

Water body What it is today

Mir Jumla Tank Converted to slum
Maasaabcheruvu and Ramathpuracheruvu Converted to an affluent colony
Yusufguda and Batakammakunta Garbage dumping grounds
Sahebnagar cheruvuv in Hayathnagar Occupied by influential politicians and layouts
Mandal for HUDA
Gopicheruvu at Gacchi Bowli near old Converted to town ship by Dyon company
Bombay road
Kanchanbagcheruvu Filled up and a hospital has come up.

At last count, Hyderabad had about 400 lakes of which 170 lakes are more than 10 hectares
(25 acres) in extent. HUDA has notified these water bodies and has restrained certain
activities. The agency has also collected information on 170 lakes. It has taken up 85 lakes
in the first phase and organised collection of baseline data. Based on the above studies,
lakes are categorised into two categories. Eighteen threatened (problematic!) lakes have
been placed under category – I while category – II lists 67 non-problematic lakes.

An environmental survey of waterbodies in and around Hyderabad classified them into three
major categories: those totally reclaimed and lost forever like the Mir Jumia Tank, Ma Sahab
Tank and Batkamma Kunta; those in progressive stages of degradation and can be
rehabilitated like Swaroopnagar Lake, Mir Alam Tank and Hussain Sagar; and those that are
still used as sources of drinking water and have recreational potential like Osman Sagar,
Himayat Sagar and Shameerpet lakes. Out of 170 waterbodies identified by HUDA for
protection, most belong to the second category - those in progressive degrees of
degradation. Persistent efforts to save the lakes have finally made a dent in the form of
court interventions, directing the authorities to take appropriate measures.

According to HUDA, a lake conservation programme has been taken up with the assistance
of Royal Netherlands Embassy under the Green Hyderabad Environment Programme (GHEP)
and 23 minor lakes have covered under the project. Three major lakes at Swaroopnagar,
Safilguda and Langerhouze are in the last phase of development, where state-of-the-art
sewage treatment plants will be set up.

170 lakes hold out promise

The total area of the 170 lakes put together comes to around 3,000 hectares and their
average depth is about 2.75 metres. The approximate storage capacity these lakes offer is
3000 x 10 4 x 2.75 x 10 3 / 10 6 = 82,500 million litres (ML) = 11 per cent of storm water
runoff.

The daily ground water recharge from 3,000 hectares of lake area works out to
approximately 3000 x 0.076 ML per hectare = 228 million litres per day (MLD)
For a population of six million it works out to 228 x 106 / 6 x 106 = 38 litres per capita per
day (LPCD). Even at 50 per cent abstraction of water from ground, it works out to about 20
LPCD.

Significance of water bodies

K L Vyas of the Society for Preservation of Environment and Quality of Lakes (SPEQL), points
out that according to revenue records, there are 679 water bodies within 30-kilometre radius
of the city. Of these, 111 lakes have a surface area of over 10 hectares each. Assuming an
average depth of 2 metres (some of them go down to 12 metres), their total capacity is
164,756,000 cubic metre (m3 ), which is more than the water that the Krishna Project is
expected to supply. “If all these water bodies are rejuvenated, properly networked and
tapped, they can supply water to Hyderabad for at least the next 30 years,” says Vyas.
(Source: MWEB)

Some important tanks of Hyderabad

Swaroopnagar Lake: Built in 1793, 4,000 hectares of catchment area (CA), 1100 hectares
of free catchment area, lake area 64 hectares in 1974 and 52 hectares in 1996. Classified as
tail-end lake of River Musi sub-basin within Krishna basin originally the lake served as a lung
space and recharge of ground water for the surrounding areas and till 1980 it has been used
for irrigation and fishing needs. In the past two decades it has lost its irrigation command
and has been subjected to urban environmental pressures.

The genesis of ‘Save the Lakes Campaign’ in Hyderabad goes back to 1993 with
Swaroopnagar Lake as the flash point. Both the catchment and command area were
converted into non-agricultural residential zones. In October 1984, the state government
issued a government order for the ‘abandonment of the lake’ by depleting the full tank level
from 31 metres to 29 metres, to facilitate development of residential colonies in the illegally
occupied peripheral areas of the water body. The lake would have vanished but for the
concern of the then chairperson of the municipal corporation and the corporations of the
city, who, in October 1988, unanimously resolved to save the lake at any cost.

Hussain Sagar Lake: The lake, which lies as a natural division between the twin cities of
Hyderabad and Secunderabad, has a history of over 400 years. It was built in 1562 AD,
during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. The construction and the supervision of the lake
was entrusted to Hussain Shah, the son–in–law of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah – and thus came
to be known as Hussain Sagar.

In its period of glory, the lake served as one of the primary sources of drinking water for the
city from 1894 to 1930 AD. Discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes polluted
the lake enormously.

The lake receives its inflow from mainly from five nullahs. The natural inflows into the lake
are from a total catchment are of about 24,000 hectares. The average rainfall in a normal
year is about 770 millimetres and the average runoff into the lake is between 28 to 33
million cubic metres.

Statistics of the lake

Volume: 28.6 million cubic metres

Surface area: 5.7 million square metres
Average depth: 5.02 metres
Depth variable: 1- 12 metres
Maximum optimum level: 514.43 metres
Normal operating level: 513.43 metres
Road level (Bund level): 518.16 metres

Total dry whether inflows from different nullahs: 95 MLD

Kukatpally nullah & Yousufguda nullah: 70 MLD (50 MLD domestic, 15 MLD industrial)
Picket nullah: 5.7 MLD
Banjara Hills nullah: 6.0 MLD
Balkapur Channel: 13.3 MLD

Hussain Sagar, which has recently been developed into a tourist centre by the Hyderabad
Urban Development Authority (HUDA), stinks of sulphur fumes and is extremely filthy. The
quality of water in the lake has gradually deteriorated during the last 20-30 years, mainly
due to the continual ingress of untreated domestic sewage and industrial effluents.

“There are more than 1,000 polluting industries situated in the catchment area of Hussain
Sagar,” says Purushottam Reddy, founder-member of Citizens Against Pollution (CAP), an
NGO. Most of the effluents flowing in the lake are from pharmaceutical industries. The lake
gets little chance to rejuvenate itself, since a runoff occurs only once a year during the rains,
and pollutants flow in throughout the year. Fish-kills have occurred as a result of lack of
dissolved oxygen, endangering the livelihoods of about 200 fisherfolk, who depend on this
tank for their livehood. (Source: MWEB)

Lakes in news

Hussainsagar, Swaroopnagar lakes most polluted

Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, the two main source of drinking water to the twin cities
are among the cleanest lakes in the world, while Hussain Sagar is the most polluted in the
HUDA agglomeration area. Besides Hussainsagar, Swaroopnagar, Hashmatpet lakes are
highly polluted with a massive inflow of sewage. As many as 16 lakes in Patancheru
industrial belt are contaminated with industrial waste.
Deccan Chronicle, May 15, 2002

Apex court fiat on pollution falls flat

Four years have elapsed since the Supreme Court directed the Andhra Pradesh state
government to take up “remediation” of 14 highly polluted lakes located in the Patancheru
area. No concrete action has been taken so far.
Deccan Chronicle, July 12 2002

Shamshabad airport poses threat to lakes

The proposed international airport at Shamshabad in Andhra Pradesh poses a threat to
Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar, the two lakes which supply water to the twin cities.
Deccan Chronicle, July 20 2002?

Sewage treatment and Waste Management

River Musi, which carries most of the city’s sewage, is in a bad shape. The city has two main
sewage treatment plants – one at Amberpet and the 20 MLD treatment plant on Necklace
Road. Sewage from the south of Musi is treated at Amerbet treatment plant and dumped in
the river. The sewage from north is treated at the Necklace Road plant.
Sewage treatment plant at Hussain Sagar (Necklace Road)

Inaugurated in May 1998, this plant was designed to treat domestic sewage of 20 million
litres per day and discharge the treated sewage into the lake. This treatment plant is
provided with 24 hours power supply for effective operation. The sewage treatment process
was designed by Watson, Mumbai and constructed by SACEDE engineers, Chennai, at a cost
of Rs 6 crore.

Salient features of the project

The five drains, namely Kukatpally nullahs, Picket nullahs, Yusufguda nullahs, Banjara
nullahs and Balkapur are channelled away from the lake so that the industrial wastes and
other unwanted substances do not contaminate the lakes.
Effluents from these drains are diverted to a Duplicate ‘A’ main sewer, which carries them to
the sewage treatment plant.
The plant is capable of treating domestic wastes adequately, before discharging them into
the lake.

Sewage treatment plant at Amberpet

A primary treatment plant of 113 MLD capacity exists at Amberpet. This plant carries out
screening and de-gritting. The plant is also equipped with plain sedimentation tanks, sludge
digesters and sludge drying beds.

Characteristics of incoming sewage to the plants

Parameter Present Mg per litre

Ph 6.74
Total Dissolved Solids ( mg/l) 1748
Suspended Solids ( mg/l) 500
COD ( mg/l) 600
BOD ( mg/l) 370
Fecal Coliforms 5.6 x 10 MPN / 100 ml

The efficiency of the existing primary treatment plant is as follows

Removal of suspended solids 70 per cent

Removal of BOD 30 per cent
Removal of COD 20 per cent

Under the Musi River Conservation Project, the Amberpet treatment plant’s capacity will be
increased to 339 MLD and the treated water will be discharged into the river.

River Musi needs conservation

River Musi, a tributary of River Krishna, emerges from Anantagiri Hills near Vikarabad town
about 90 kilometres to the west of Hyderabad. The river flows through part of Pargi,
Chevella, Kalwalcol, Palmakol and Golkonda Mandals before it reaches Hyderabad. Osman
Sagar reservoir was constructed across the river in 1920 at Gandipet village, upstream of
Hyderabad. Musi enters Hyderabad near Rajendranagar, flowing west to east and bifurcating
the old and new city, which are on the south and north of Musi respectively. It runs about 20
kilometres within the city limits and passes downstream through a length of about 150
kilometres before joining River Krishna at Wadapally in Nalgonda district.
The quality of water in River Musi after entering the city limits of Hyderabad is deteriorating
due to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. The drainage area of Musi’s stretch flowing
through Hyderabad city limits includes the entire Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH)
area and also part of surrounding municipalities – Secunderabad Cantonment, Osmania
University, etc. In the MCH area, only 62 per cent is covered by sewage network, with
limited sewage treatment facility of 113 MLD at Amberpet and 20 MLD at Hussain Sagar
Lake. The excess sewage from Amberpet flows to Nallacheruvu beyond Uppal and is being
used to grow para-grass. The other parts of the drainage area of River Musi are not covered
with regular sewerage networks and sewage treatment facilities. The river is getting polluted
as untreated sewage is finding its way to the river. Studies indicate that the Biochemical
Oxygen Demand of the river is in the range of 60 to 117 mg/litre in city limits.

Pollution levels in River Musi within Twin cities

(Samples collected in May 2001)

Parameters Locations
River Musi at the River Musi at River River Musi Pirzadigud
confluence of River Rajendra Musi at Nagole outlet of
Musi and River Esa Nagar Ring near Ring Road Nullah
near Bapughat Road Bridge high Bridge Cheruvu
court
pH 7.93 7.61 7.16 7.46 7.3
Total Dissolved 680 860 704 1176 1076
Solids (mg/l)
Suspended 204 318 164 92 296
solids (mg/l)
Total Nitrogen 22 32 26 27 52
(mg/l)
Total 5 7 7 6 14
Phosphates
(mg/ l)
Sulphates 182 171 129 182 222
(mg/l)
COD (mg/l) 176 220 268 128 211
BOD (mg/l) 72 90 117 60 90

River Musi Conservation Project

A pre-feasibility project report has been prepared for conserving River Musi. The proposal,
which pegs the estimated cost at Rs 295 crore, has been forwarded to the Government of
India under the National River Action Plan Assistance for funding.

The proposal includes revamping the Sewage Treatment Plant at Amberpet at a cost of Rs
105 crore. The project proposes to intercept and divert the dry weather flows from all the
storm water drains and divert them after preliminary treatment like screening and de-
gritting to the various proposed Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for treatment.

If the proposal is accepted, six STPs will be set up in order to take care of the estimated
waste expected by the year 2005. The treated sewage water will be finally diverted to the
river. The following table indicates the volume of sewage they have to handle by 2005.
Amberpet 339 Mld
Nagole 170 Mld
Nallacheruvu 30 Mld
Ziaguda 20 Mld
Nandimusalaiguda 30 Mld
Hussainsagar 20 Mld
Total 609 Mld

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Artificial recharge of ground water in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, though
initiated in the year 1997, has gained momentum in 1998 with the involvement of HMWSSB,
MCH and other government organisations.

A rainwater harvesting cell was constituted in HMWSSB to which an officer from State
Ground Water Department was deputed to propagate the concept and to provide the
necessary technical guidance. The cell provides technical guidance to the implementing
agencies and to the people at large. Citizens interested in implementing rainwater
harvesting methods can contact B Narsing Rao, Assitant Director, Rainwater Harvesting Cell,
HMWSSB, Hyderabad, Phone no: 040- 55666358

The government has made it mandatory for all premises on plots over 200 sq m to have
rainwater harvesting structures by enacting the Andhra Pradesh Water Land and Tress Act
2002 (APWALTA).

Between 1988-2002, HMWSSB, Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and residents of the

twin cities had constructed 414,482 rainwater harvesting structures. The evaluation of
rainwater harvesting structures in twin cities indicates a net average groundwater level rise
of 4.84 metres in the influent zone of recharge structures, as against the net rise of 2.07
metres in the non influent zone during the monsoon period of 2001. This indicates a net
incremental rise of 2.77 metres due to additional recharge close to the recharge structures.

Rainwater Harvesting Potential In Hyderabad

Hyderabad receives normal rainfall of 845 millimetres spread on 50 normal rainy days. Of
these, 658 millimetres accrue from 39 normal days from south-west monsoon and 107 mm
is received in five rainy days during north-east monsoon. The climate of the city represents
a distinctly dry season combined with moderate annual range of temperature (27.8° C in
December to 38.7° C in May). Rainfall data for the last 20 years has shown a deviation of
rainfall of –40 per cent to +40 per cent. This shows that droughts are common to Hyderabad
city. The actual rainfall for the year 2002-03 up to the month of April 2003 is 624.2 mm a
deficit of 18 per cent. The average 10 years of rainfall pattern in city is given below.
 10 years rainfall data in twin cities

250

186 195
200
168
in millimeters

150
109
100 79

50 31
15 22 21
4 8 7
0

st
y

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ry

ril

ly

r
ne
ch

ay

r
be
ar

be

be
gu
Ju

ob
ua

Ap

M
ar

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nu

m
em

m
Au

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Ja

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No

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source : State groundwater dept

Water Harvesting Potential of Hyderabad

Area of Hyderabad – 780 sq km

Annual avg. rainfall - 845 mm
Total rainwater falling over the city
= 780 x 1000000 x 845
= 659100000000 litres
= 1805 MLD

Present water supply = 680 MLD

Even if we assume 70 per cent of the area to be developed, 50 per cent of it to be roofed
and we collect 70 per cent of the water falling over it, the quantity of rainwater that can be
harvested works out to 442 MLD. This is a sizeable quantity compared to water supply to
twin cities.

How much water can be harvested in Individual House level

In Hyderabad if you have a rooftop area of 100 sq m, considering the rainfall the annual
rainfall as 845 mm or 0.845m, with runoff coefficient factor of 0.80 for rooftop area, then
you can harvest about 67,600 litres of water. The formula for calculating is as follows:

Runoff =A x R x C
A=Area
R=Rainfall in metres
C=Runoff coefficient

An example
A=100 m2
R = 845 millimeters
C=0.80
Runoff = 67,600 liters
Rainy days in Hyderabad

Number of rainy days in Twin city

12 11.4
10.4
9.9
10

8 7.1
no. of days

6
4
4
2.3
2 1.1 1 1.4
0.4 0.5 0.5
0

st
y

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ry

ril

ly

r
ne
ch

ay

r
be
ar

be

be
gu
Ju

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Ap

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Ja

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No

De
Se
Source : State Groundwater dept

Since the city has limited number of rainy days, storing is not an economical option for the
city. Hence recharging aquifers is the only viable option.

RECHARGING AQUIFERS IN HYDERABAD

Rainwater from various catchments can be filtered and diverted to subsoil, but for doing this
the knowledge of the sub-subsurface geology is essential.

Soil in the city

Most of the soils are residual type, formed due to weathering of granitic rocks and therefore
are of red sandy loams and black silty loams. The thickness of soil is limited to less than one
metre and in certain places may extend up to 2m.

Hydrogeology of the city

Grey and pink granites gneisses underlie the area in and around the twin cities of Hyderabad
and Secunderabad. They are, at places, intruded by dolerite, pegmatite and quartz veins.
These rocks are generally classified as hard rock and are devoid of primary porosity. Only
secondary porosity like weathered and fractured zones can store and allow percolation of
groundwater. The depth of weathered zone ranges up to 15 metres and that of fractured
zone from 15 to 50 metres and at places extends even up to 100 metres.

Areas favourable for recharge

Alluvial deposits along the minor streams are found in areas such as Yellareddyguda,
Punjagutta, North of Golconda Gort, Khanapur etc. These areas are generally suitable for
recharge purposes.

Another important landform is deeply weathered pediplain where the thickness of soil zone/
weathered zone is more than 10 metres. This unit is found in parts of Musheerabad,
Ashoknagar, Towlichowki, Narasingi, Khanapur, Osmansagar, Chinnamangalam, Barakas,
south of Yakutpura, north of Rajendra Nagar, along with River Musi, etc. These areas are
highly favourable for recharge borewells of depth ranging from 35 to 50 metres.

Government initiatives

Neeru-Meeru campaign
The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) had launched the campaign to promote
conservation and harvesting of rainwater for ground water recharge. In Hyderabad, Neeru-
Meeru structures enable a 2.1 per cent rainfall infiltration (one of the highest percentages of
the state). Under the Neeru-Meeru programme, HUDA has so far constructed 2.31 lakh
rainwater harvesting structures involving 31 lakh cmt of earth work by creating 347 lakh
cmt additional recharge space.

HUDA has made it mandatory for all the developers to take up rainwater harvesting
structures in all layouts and apartments. So far, 1,283 structures are constructed in layouts
and 52 structures in apartments sanctioned.

Integrated Lake Treatment and conservation

Due to lack of long-term infrastructure planning for water supply and waste water
management, most lakes in Hyderabad are subjected to highly polluted sewage water
discharge. Out of 170 lakes notified by HUDA, 87 lakes will be treated and conserved under
Green Hyderabad Environment Programme from 2002-2006.

Government of Andhra Pradesh, 2000, G.O.Ms.No ; 350, M.A.:

Town and country planning, Urban Development Authority, Municipal Commissioners insist
for facilities and infrastructure for conservation and harvesting rainwater in all layouts and
sub division for sanctioning the same.
Plots over 300 sq.m. must have RWH
All existing should construct within one year.

State Ground Water Dept’s studies: Key findings on RWH

— Infiltration tests show that rate of infiltration through the dug out pits and trenches are 10
times higher that of the infiltration rate that happens naturally in soil.

— The 2,250 recharge structures constructed in the city has provided additional recharge of
0.24 MCM which is 0.4 per cent of the average annual natural ground water recharge in the
twin cities. This additional recharge is equivalent to the domestic water requirement of about
17,000 persons for 100 days.

— The random survey reveals improvement in borewell yields from 10 per cent to 15 per
cent, improvement in water level and rejuvenation of defunct shallow borewells, particularly
in residential zones such as Padmasalinagar, Umanagar, Gandhinagar, and Ashoknagar,
where a large number of structures were constructed by builders and individuals.

— A rise of water levels of 4.5 to 5 metres during monsoon of 1998 is noticed in areas close
to the recharge structures as against the net average rise of 4.2 metres recorded from the
observation wells for the same period. The net average rise in water levels of observation
wells in monsoon of 1998 is higher when compared to the 1997 values whose average is
1.2m. This is due to the combined effect of groundwater recharge and betterment in water
supply.
— Recharge structures made in individual houses are maintained but the recharge wells in
government departments and in public places are silted with leaves, plastic bags and other
soil wastes. It is suggested that the roof top water from the drain pipes must be collected
and diverted into the recharge structures to prevent silting.

— Areas with rock exposures and shallow basement should be avoided. Areas with shallow
water table of less than 5 metres during summer needed not be considered for taking to of
recharge structures.

CSE and Rainwater Harvesting in Andhra pradesh

CSE conducted day-long training programmes at six municipalities in Andhra Pradesh

(Hyderabad, Kurnool, Tirupathi, Vishakhapatnam, Guntur and Warangal) from June 4 to
June 15, 2003. The programme was taken up after a request from the state government.
For more information about this refer to below given link.
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/events/Events-2003.htm
References

CGWB, 2000, Ground water in Urban Environment of India, Faridabad, India

HMSSB, 2001, Musi River Conservation Project, Foundation stone laying ceremony
(brochure).

Prasad, B.N., 2004, State Level Technical workshop for assessment of Run-off, Ground
Water Department (Govt of Andhra Pradesh)

Andhra Pradesh Authority, 2002, The Andhra Pradesh Gazette Part IV-B Extraordinary, Act.
No 10 of 2002, Hyderabad.

Government of Andhra Pradesh, 2000, G.O.Ms.No;350,M.A.,

India Urban Resource Center, http://www.indiaurbaninfo.com/niua/index.htm

CSE, Dying Wisdom

CSE, 2001, Making Water Everybody’s Business