Borewell Operators Hit By 200-Litre Diesel Cap in Hyderabad
According to the association, oil companies have restricted diesel filling to 200 litres per vehicle, while a borewell rig requires nearly 600 to 1,000 litres for each drilling operation
By : Sanjay Samuel Paul
Update: 2026-05-29 18:45 GMT
Hyderabad: Amid falling groundwater levels and reduced drinking water supply in Hyderabad, residents are increasingly depending on borewells as a back-up source during summer. However, borewell operators say diesel restrictions at petrol pumps were affecting drilling activity during the peak season.
The demand for new borewells usually rises between March and June across Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana. But this season, the Telangana Rig Association, a major body representing borewell drilling firms, said petrol pumps were refusing to supply the required quantity of diesel for drilling machines.
According to the association, oil companies have restricted diesel filling to 200 litres per vehicle, while a borewell rig requires nearly 600 to 1,000 litres for each drilling operation.
Experts said borewells in Hyderabad generally go to depths of 200 to 600 feet for residential water needs, but in several areas, drilling has to go up to 800 to 1,200 feet or even deeper to reach sufficient groundwater. The city’s rocky terrain also requires deeper drilling.
G. Bhaskar Reddy, organising secretary of the Telangana Rig Association, said, “Petrol pumps have fixed a cap of 200 litres of diesel, and this is causing difficulty for us. A drilling machine consumes around 500 ml to 750 ml of diesel for every foot. We may need nearly 1,000 litres of diesel for one rig operation in the city. This is our peak business season, and the restriction is causing serious inconvenience. Oil marketing companies should reconsider it.”
He said at least 600 borewells are drilled every month in Hyderabad between March and June. There are around 200 compressor drilling machines in the city, he added.
Neeraj Kumar, a resident of Kukatpally who recently installed a borewell, said, “In most parts of the city, deep drilling is required. We had to drill up to 1,370 feet to get water.”
Sarsam Srinivas Reddy, a petrol pump dealer, said the restriction was also affecting fuel dealers. “Our regular business is getting affected. Borewell rigs and heavy trucks, which have fuel tank capacities of 500 to 1,000 litres, are suffering the most. Oil companies should reconsider this restriction,” he said.