Hyderabad: As summer sets in across Hyderabad, it is essential to understand the city’s water requirements and the persistent challenges in supply. To meet water requirements, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) provides 545 million gallons of water per day to all parts of the city.
Consistent water supply throughout the year
Addressing a query on the variation in water demand during summer and winter, an official from the water board stated, “Irrespective of the season, the city is provided with 545 million gallons per day, owing to the good levels in the supplying reservoirs like Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Manjira, Singoor, Krishna, and Godavari up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR).”
Preparation for the summer season
Elaborating on the preparations for this summer, the official told Siasat.com that the board aims to maintain the 545 MGD (million gallons per day) supply across Hyderabad. He acknowledged that groundwater depletion remains a concern in certain areas, including:
- Division 3 – Asifnagar, Shaikpet
- Division 6 – Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, SR Nagar, Fateh Nagar, Erragadda
- Division 9 – Moosapet, Bhagyanagar, Kukatpally, Hasmathpet
- Division 15 – Madhapur, Kondapur, Gachibowli, Ayyappa Society
- Division 16 – Rajendranagar
- Division 17 – Hafeezpet
- Division 18 – Manikonda
“In all these areas, special efforts are being made by HMWSSB to ensure there is no disruption to the water supply,” he added.
Additional measures for water distribution
Apart from the piped water supply, the board has planned a series of steps to provide mobile water tankers on request. To ensure smooth operations, the following measures have been implemented:
- Posting adequate staff at filling stations
- Ensuring no disruption in pumping arrangements for tanker filling
- Reducing turnaround time for each trip
- Running tankers in two or three shifts, as needed
Water scarcity and tankers in Hyderabad
The official highlighted that currently, 962 water tankers are registered with the HMWSSB. While most tankers have a capacity of 5000 litres, some have a capacity of 10,000 litres and above. “HMWSSB is closely monitoring the situation and taking proactive steps to mitigate the hardships likely to arise due to groundwater depletion,” he added.
Addressing the scarcity of water in specific areas of Hyderabad, the official attributed it to a depleted groundwater table in those regions.
Apart from piped water supply the waterboard has planned a series of steps to arrange mobile water tankers on request and made elaborate arrangements by posting required staff at the filling stations, ensuring that there is no disruption of pumping arrangements for tanker filling, reducing the turnaround time for each trip, ensuring tankers run in two or three shifts as may be needed.
