HYDERABAD: Hyderabad has seen a sharp increase in dependence on water tankers from July till the start of October this year, with deliveries rising 77.7% compared to the corresponding period last year, when 4,95,373 deliveries were recorded.
The trend continued in October, with the surge persisting. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) delivering 2,20,887 tankers, against 87,056 in October 2025, an increase of 153.7%.
Bookings during the month jumped from 48,284 to 1,92,889, registering a staggering 253.5% increase.
The combined number of bookings and deliveries rose by 205.7%, from 1,35,340 in October 2025 to 4,13,776 in October 2026.
Behind these numbers is growing pressure on the city’s water sources. A deficient monsoon, falling groundwater levels and declining reservoir storage have left several neighbourhoods increasingly dependent on tankers.
Groundwater department data show that the average groundwater depth in the Core Urban Region (CURE), covering Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri, stood at 11.58 metres
below ground level in September 2026, compared with 4.73 metres a year earlier — an increase of 6.85 metres. The impact is being felt in areas such as Kukatpally, Kondapur, Gachibowli, Serilingampally and Manikonda.
As borewells dry up, apartments, gated communities and commercial establishments are increasingly turning to private operators and the water board for supplies.
Demand showed no signs of easing in October. The combined number of bookings and deliveries rose 205.7%, from 1,35,340 in October 2025 to 4,13,776 in October 2026.
Deliveries also climbed from 1,77,625 in September to 2,20,887 in October, when demand would normally be expected to ease after the rains.
Storage at city sources Singur, Manjeera declines
The comparison with 2023, a year marked by a strong El Nino episode, is equally striking. October 2026 deliveries were 245% higher than the 63,993 recorded in October 2023. Bookings surged 485%, from 32,973 to 1,92,889 — nearly six times the earlier figure.
July saw the highest demand this year, with 2,56,178 bookings and 2,87,192 deliveries. The numbers eased in August and September before rising again in October. Bookings increased 31.2% over September to 1,92,889, while deliveries rose 24.4% to 2,20,887.
The four-month totals tell a similar story. Between July and October, the Water Board received 7,59,533 bookings and delivered 8,80,055 tankers. Deliveries were 77.7% higher than in 2025 and 210.3% above the 2,83,626 recorded in 2023. They were also nearly 2.5 times the 2024 figure of 3,53,493 and almost four times the 2021 figure of 2,18,998.
The pressure is not limited to groundwater. Singur and Manjeera, two important sources of Hyderabad’s water supply, have also recorded a decline in storage.
“The reduced availability from these sources is one of the reasons for the supply shortfall. The Board has been looking at alternative arrangements, including additional supplies from the Godavari and Krishna rivers and Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar,” HMWSSB managing director K Ashok Reddy told TNIE.
Ashok described groundwater as a “water bank” that needs to be replenished through rainwater harvesting and recharge measures. He urged residents and apartment associations to conserve water and avoid wastage.
Rapid urbanisation and the spread of high-rise buildings have added to the pressure. The Water Board has stressed the need to upgrade pipelines, reservoirs, valves and distribution networks to meet rising demand.
Tanker demand, which usually peaks between February and July, has continued well beyond the monsoon this year. To reduce the use of drinking water for other purposes, the board is promoting its Green Water Tanker initiative, which supplies treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants for construction, gardening, road cleaning and industrial use.
