Koraput: Koraput district is heading towards a severe water crisis, with the situation becoming alarming. The main source of drinking water for more than half the population — the Kolab Reservoir — has dried up, which is expected to directly impact water supply projects. It is being said that only if there are continuous Nor’westers (Kalbaisakhi) and good rainfall, the situation might improve.
Water from the Kolab Reservoir is collected at the Damanjodi Intake Well, from where it is supplied to Jeypore, Jaipur, Sunabeda, and Damanjodi areas.Currently, as the reservoir continues to dry up, the intake well has also gone dry. While the reservoir’s water level was earlier at 858 meters, it has now fallen to 848.48 meters. This means the reservoir is operating at only 40% of its total storage capacity.If monsoon rains arrive in June, the reservoir will be replenished. Until then, how water supply will be managed for the next one and a half months remains a major concern.
The reservoir, which once had a catchment area of 1630 kilometers, has now shrunk to just 1200 kilometers, affecting not just drinking water supply but also electricity generation. While water from the reservoir was earlier used for Rabi cultivation, now due to water management concerns, daily electricity production at Kolab Power House has been restricted to just 70–80 megawatts.If all four turbines were operated simultaneously, up to 320 megawatts could have been produced, but doing so would cause the already depleting reservoir to dry up completely within a few days. On the other hand, the reduced power production is leading to increased power cuts and low-voltage issues across the area.
The issue of water levels dropping during summer is not new.
For the past 22 years, such a situation has been recurring every year.
Due to reduced rainfall and siltation of the reservoir, it is not filling up as it used to.
Moreover, industrial growth and rising population have led to an ever-increasing demand for water.
The Upper Kolab Project was initiated in 1976 to address irrigation needs during the Kharif and Rabi seasons. By 1985, preparations were made to supply canal water from the dam to farmlands, and by 1993, the Kolab Dam was fully operational. In 1997, pilot irrigation was provided to 40,000 hectares of farmland. Since 1998, regular irrigation has been provided to 47,985 hectares of land in Jeypore, Borigumma, and Kotpad blocks during both seasons.
Along with irrigation, electricity generation and drinking water supply to four towns are being managed from the Kolab Reservoir. Plans are in place to extend drinking water supply to 10 blocks through a 5 Mega Drinking Water Supply Project in the future. However, with the current water shortage, the success of this future plan now appears uncertain.