Monsoon Fails to End Water Blues for Residents

Hyderabad: Even though the rainy season has begun, several parts of Hyderabad are still struggling with water supply. Many residents said they are getting water only once every four to five days, which is making them depend on water tankers, even after summer has passed.

According to data from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), 1,26,844 water tankers were booked between July 1 and 22 this year, compared to 85,286 tankers booked during the same period in 2024. A source from the Water Board also said that more tanker bookings were made this July compared to last year.

“We usually get water every alternate day, but now it’s coming only once every four or five days. This is becoming a problem for us. Whenever we contact the Water Board, they give some lame excuses, and then we get proper supply for a few days, but the issue starts again. The water pressure is also very low,” said Sai Teja, a resident of Pragathi Nagar.

According to Vinayal Reddy, a resident of Shilpa Layout, Pragathi Nagar, “Water has been coming only once every four days for the past five months. We have raised several complaints, but they are closing the complaints without resolving anything. We have been paying water bills regularly despite the irregular supply.”

In Himmatpura, Javeed Hussain said, “We don’t get water regularly. Sometimes it comes on alternate days, but recently it’s been once every two, three, or even four days. We thought things would improve after summer, but nothing has changed. My brother lives in Mehdipatnam with his family, and they also face the same problem and are calling tankers every alternate day.”

His neighbour, Mohammed Ahmed, also said, “We expected better supply with the rains, but we still depend on water tankers.”

Sai Kumar, from Louis Braille Street in Suraram Colony, said, “We are fully dependent on government water. It’s been eight days now without any water. We wonder whether we are living in Hyderabad or in some remote rural village. We hoped the condition would get better after summer, but it didn’t.”

Even after the rains, many areas like Gachibowli, Gowlidoddi, and BHEL are still relying on water tankers due to poor planning and a lack of rainwater harvesting. Most rainwater is going into drains instead of being stored, as many buildings either don’t have proper pits or don’t maintain them.

According to HMWSSB, major tanker bookings this month have come from Durgam Cheruvu, Kukatpally, Manikonda, Nizampet, and SR Nagar. The Water Board said, “We are supplying water to all areas as per our capacity. In some areas, residents may be facing issues due to internal distribution problems, local pipeline issues, or dry borewells. We try to respond to all complaints and send tankers where needed.”