Hyderabad is India’s most water-stressed metro and residents are suffering

Hyderabad: Hyderabad is the worst-affected metro city in India when it comes to groundwater depletion, according to a new Union government report, with more critically stressed units than several large states put together.

The Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2025, released by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, classifies 26 administrative units, spread across the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and the districts of Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri, as either “critical” or “over-exploited” in terms of groundwater extraction. 

Delhi follows with 21 such units and Bengaluru with 16.

Notably, Hyderabad’s tally of stressed units exceeds that of several major states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar. This shows how severely the city’s groundwater has been drawn down.

What the categories mean

The report uses a tiered classification based on how much of the available groundwater is being extracted. Units drawing less than 70 per cent are classified as “safe,” while those between 71 and 90 per cent fall under “semi-critical.” Those between 90 and 100 per cent are deemed “critical.” Any unit where extraction exceeds 100 per cent of what is naturally replenished is placed in the “over-exploited” category.

Of Hyderabad’s 16 units that do not fall in the “safe” category, only one has been classified as “semi-critical”. The rest are either critical or over-exploited. Those over-exploited units include some of the city’s most densely populated and commercially active areas – Khairatabad, Ameerpet, Himayatnagar, Bachupally, Serilingampally, Hayathnagar and Saroornagar.

Wait for tankers is too long, say residents

The data reflects what residents in several parts of the city have been experiencing on the ground for weeks. Sreshtha, who lives in Jagadgirigutta, says she has been dealing with water scarcity for over a month. “It’s been difficult to manage daily needs,” she told Siasat.com.

In Papireddynagar, resident Sana describes a similar situation. “We have been facing a water shortage for a month. It has become difficult for us to store water for daily use,” she said.

The frustration is sharper in Kamlapuri Colony, where Amer has been without an adequate water supply for about six weeks. “Filing a request for water tankers is a headache. The waiting list is too long and whatever little water we are receiving is coming at low pressure,” he told Siasat.com.

Rs 7,360 crore sanction, but relief is years away

The report comes just three days after the Telangana government sanctioned administrative approval of Rs 7,360 crore to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) for the Godavari Phase-II and Phase-III project – a long-term infrastructure push aimed at addressing the city’s growing water deficit.

The grant follows a warning from the board that Hyderabad’s water demand will rise to 835 million gallons per day (MGD) by 2027, creating a shortfall of nearly 233 MGD.

Under the approved plan, 20 TMC of water from the Mallanna Sagar project will be redirected to Hyderabad, adding 300 MGD to the city’s drinking water supply. An additional 2.5 TMC will be used for the rejuvenation of the Musi River.

The project was discussed at a recent review meeting attended by Public Enterprises Minister Mohammed Azharuddin and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, where HMWSSB also laid out the city’s plans for sewerage infrastructure, groundwater conservation and long-term urban water management.