Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s (KCR) announcement has taken the Opposition by surprise. His plan is to interlink the Musi river with Godavari waters. He made his plan when he redesigned the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). The interlinking of rivers is expected to reduce the groundwater pollution in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Yadadri-Bhongir and Nalgonda districts.

If all goes as per plan, 700 cusecs of water can be brought to Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar from the 15 tmc capacity to Kondapochamma Sagar on a daily basis. The 127 Km Sangareddy canal meant for irrigation is being built and this will bring the Kondapochamma Sagar water to Hyderabad.

The Sangareddy canal has been designed to carry 5,054 cusecs, of which 4,354 cusecs will be used for irrigation purpose and 700 cusecs are used to clean the Musi river and to fill the Musi reservoir with Godavari water in Nalgonda. For this purpose, from the 27th km of Sangareddy canal water will be diverted to Ravilkot tank. From Ravilkot, the water will come to the twin reservoirs in Hyderabad which covers 52 km distance. However, the government is working to cover the distance.

Sangareddy canal had already begun and the diversion of water at Ravilkot to Gandipet will have to be undertaken by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

The water resources department is planning to fill Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs with 3.5 tmc for interlinking the Godavari with Musi. The KLIS water will be released into Musi River to reduce the pollution content and increase dissolved oxygen levels.

The State government, under its Strategic Nala Development Project (SNDP), several Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP) will purify the water before releasing into Musi and restricting the further pollution of the river.