Water Shortage Pushes Vizag Apartment Costs Higher
Residents said even tankers booked through the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) were often not delivered on time.
Visakhapatnam:Residents of gated communities and apartment complexes in Visakhapatnam are facing a severe water shortage, with many forced to depend on private tankers as groundwater levels decline and supplies from reservoirs shrink.
Residents said even tankers booked through the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) were often not delivered on time. In several areas, borewells drilled to depths of 500 feet have failed to yield water, while attempts to reach 800 feet have produced only limited supplies.
Maharani Peta, Seethammadhara, Maddilapalem, Shivajipalem, Yendada, Arilova, Pedda Rushikonda, Marikavalasa, PM Palem, Madhuravada, Mithilapuri Vuda Colony and Gajuwaka are among the areas facing shortages.
The reservoirs supplying the city, including Tatipudi, Mehadrigedda, Mudasarlova, Gambhiram and Gosthanee, have also recorded declining water levels. The GVMC has reduced water supply timings, prompting protests in several neighbourhoods. Residents said officials were often unresponsive despite providing contact numbers for tanker services.
M. Madhava Rao, a resident of an apartment in Seethammadhara, said the water shortage had sharply increased monthly maintenance costs. “What used to cost Rs 1,000 has increased dramatically as we now have to pay for water tankers,” he said, adding that the additional expense was affecting retired residents as well.
In the suburbs, some gated communities and large apartment complexes require 10 to 20 tankers a day, with each tanker carrying 10,000 to 12,000 litres. Residents said getting even two tankers a day through GVMC’s online booking system was proving difficult.
Official data cited in the report shows groundwater levels in Visakhapatnam district declining over the years. The level, recorded at 7.54 metres below ground level (BGL) in 2023 and 7.8 metres in 2024, stood at 7.65 metres in 2025 before dropping to 11.51 metres in 2026.
The shortage is also beginning to influence the rental market. Brokers in Seethammadhara said water availability had become a primary concern for tenants, ahead of amenities such as parking and fitness facilities.
“Renters are now asking whether the GVMC line is operational every day, whether the borewell is functional and whether there is a sump backup,” one broker said.
Flats with assured water supply are being rented within a day, sometimes at higher rates, while those without reliable water remain vacant despite lower rents.
