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After poor rain, regulated water supply for Ranchi
Residents of Ranchi face regulated water supply with the state recording deficit monsoon rainfall and dams showing depleted storage levels.
Residents of Ranchi face regulated water supply with the state recording deficit monsoon rainfall and dams showing depleted storage levels.
Hatia dam, which supplies around four million gallon water to the city every day, will announce rationing of water soon. “There is an immediate need for water rationing so as to continue supply till the summer,” Hatia dam executive engineer KK Verma told Hindustan Times on Friday.
The dam recorded 18 feet water level on Friday, which was 27 feet on the same day last year. “We will start rationing as soon as a directive from the water supply department comes,” said Verma.
The Ranchi city gets 42 million gallon water every day from three major dams -- Hatia, Rukka and Kanke. The Rukka dam water level has dipped by eight feet compared to the previous year and that of Kanke by 1.5 feet. However, both the dams won’t go for immediate water rationing, officials said.
The water storage level of the dams has dipped due to 32% rain deficit in August and 41% in September in Jharkhand during this monsoon. The state received 908.2mm rainfall from June 1 to September 30 against the normal mark of 1092mm, registering an overall deficit of 17%.
Meteorological department officials said there was no system in sight that could extend monsoon retreat from Jharkhand. “As per our calculation, monsoon will retreat from Jharkhand between October 4 and 10,” said Patna meteorological centre director AK Sen.
Maithan and Panchet reservoirs in the state have recorded 41% less water storage than the previous year, and the Konar reservoir level has dipped by 15%, according to the Central Water Commission’s bulletin on September 30.
The rainfall deficit in the second half of monsoon also affected paddy yields. “With good rainfall in June and July, farmers went on sowing up to 94% of the target area. But poor rainfall in August and September has damaged paddy yield on uplands. Jharkhand may face 20-25% yield loss this year,” said RP Singh Ratan, director of BAU.
