Socialist Party (India)

Subject: Compliance of Operational Schedule for operating flood gates, Dam Safety Panel guidelines, CWC guidelines, before making announcements of proposal to operate flood gates on people who are already reeling under severe hardships of inundation, loss of life and property.

References:

1. Lr No. O&MXVII/968/2020-21 dated 20 October 2020 – ‘Inflows to Osman Sagar reservoir – proposed operation of flood gates – request to alert concern police authorities.’

2. Link of 2907 Osmansagar Reservoir FTL.

With reference to the subject line and references cited above, we have the following to state:

HMWSSB IS PROPOSING TO OPERATE FLOOD GATES WITHOUT PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT THE OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR OPENING OF FLOOD GATES HAS BEEN COMPLIED WITH.
HMWSSB HAS NOT EVEN GIVEN STATEMENT THAT ALL THE ENCROACHMENTS IDENTIFIED INSIDE THE FTL OF THE RESERVOIR VIZ., ORO SPORTS, ETC. HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO ENSURE THAT FULL STORAGE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED.
HMWSSB HAS NOT GIVEN PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT DAM SAFETY PANEL AND CENTRAL WATER COMMISSION GUIDELINES FOR FLOOD GATE OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLIED with.
HMWSSB HAS NOT CONFIRMED THAT THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE OUTFLOW CHANNEL OF OSMAN SAGAR IN TERMS OF CHANNEL WIDTH AND DEPTH HAS BEEN CLEARED AND ENSURED FOR FREE FLOW OF WATER. SUBSEQUENTLY, AS IT FLOWS AS MOOSI NADI, IT IS NOT KNOWN, IF HMWSSB SOUGHT CONFIRMATION FROM MOOSI NADI ADMINISTRATION IF THE MOOSI NADI IS FREE TO ITS CARRYING CAPACITY SO THAT PUBLIC & PROPERTY IS NOT HARMED.
HMWWSB HAS NOT EVEN MENTIONED THE PROBABLE QUANTUM OF DISCHARGE.
HMWSSB HAS NOT ANNOUNCED IF WATER IS TO BE RELEASED FROM BALAKPUR CHANNEL THAT IS CONNECTED FROM OSMAN SAGAR TO HUSSAIN SAGAR. IS THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF BALKAPUR CHANNEL BEEN RESTORED? IF WATER IS NOT RELEASED THROUGH BALKAPUR CHANNEL WHY IT IS NOT BEING RELEASED THEREFROM?
HMWSSB HAS FAILED TO GIVE FTL GEO COORDINATES OF THE OSMAN SAGAR IN SPITE OF REPEATED REQUESTS. WHEN THE FTL GEO COORDINATES COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED AND GIVEN TO PUBLIC, HOW IS IT ANNOUNCING THAT OSMAN SAGAR HAS REACHED THE FTL LEVEL, HOW STORAGE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED.

Thus, HMWSSB, MAUD Ministry, and the government of Telangana have failed to act in good faith.

They need to immediately place in public domain the reservoir flood operation schedule, and compliance of guidelines of Dam Safety Panel and Central Water Commission. They cannot make such adhoc announcements to the public without first placing all the assurances of dam safety panel operational guidelines compliance in public domain and that they have indeed evicted all encroachments inside the FTL of reservoir, that they have ensured maximum efforts so that precious pure water need not be released, and every effort made for alternate storage facilities, that they have ensured the carrying capacity of the outflow channel and Moosi Nadi is restored, that they have made every effort so that there is no harm and shock to public and no loss to pubic and their property.