In response to heavy rainfall and a continued forecast for more, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has issued a flood warning for the city’s twin reservoirs, Himayatsagar and Osman Sagar. The gates of both dams have been opened to release water and manage the dangerously high water levels, which are at or near their maximum capacity.
Massive Water Discharge to Prevent Inundation
As of Friday, the water level at Osman Sagar stood at 1789.50 feet against its full reservoir level (FRL) of 1790 feet. Similarly, Himayatsagar reached a level of 1763.20 feet, just shy of its 1763.50-foot FRL. To handle the significant inflow from upstream catchment areas, four gates at both reservoirs were opened. This action has led to a combined discharge of 8,000 cusecs, with 5,600 cusecs flowing from Himayatsagar and 2,400 cusecs from Osman Sagar. The HMWS&SB has put people in low-lying areas along the Musi River, which receives the discharge, on high alert.