Full Breakdown
Hyderabad Faces Acute Drinking-Water Shortage Amid El Niño-Driven Drought
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Escalating Water Shortage in the City
Tankers are being booked at 6,000-8,000 per day as Hyderabad’s municipal supply shifts from an alternate-day schedule to once every three days for most zones. Only three of the city’s 16 mandals have received sufficient rainfall; the rest rely on tankers for drinking water.
Underlying Causes and Regional Context
An El Niño-linked monsoon deficit left >330 of Telangana’s 600 mandals drought-hit and only about 500 of the state’s 6,000 lakes with water, according to the irrigation department. Competing agricultural and industrial demands further strain supply.
Government Measures and Planned Interventions
- Tanker Expansion: HMWSSB Managing Director Ashok Reddy has ordered onboarding of additional tanker operators.
- Alternative Sources: The board is studying extra supplies from the Godavari Drinking Water Scheme, additional Krishna draws, and new filter beds at Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar. Treated wastewater will be earmarked for construction, landscaping and industrial use.
- Green Water Tanker Service: Starting Nov 1, a pilot will distribute treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes.
- Public Participation: A PAANI app enables volunteers to report water-related issues.
- Borewell Controls & Penalties: New borewell permissions are restricted; fines of INR1,000 apply for first-time misuse.
- Employment Scheme: A four-month job programme will run after Sankranti until May for rural labourers affected by the drought.
Official Statements & Responses
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy warned of a prolonged drinking-water crisis lasting until July next year, citing “sparse rainfall” and “rising temperatures.” He urged farmers to shift to rain-fed crops and directed officials to monitor tanker movements, reservoir releases and electricity supply to agricultural feeders.
Criticism & Opposition
BRS spokesperson Ravula Sridhar accused the Congress government of “scaring citizens” rather than providing solutions, saying the chief minister’s meetings and speeches were insufficient to instill confidence.
On-the-Ground Reports
Resident welfare groups, including UFERWAS, have launched an “Every Drop Counts” campaign with a seven-point plan. M. Srinivas, head of the Urban Development Forum, called the response “too late” and noted a lack of coordination among irrigation, agriculture, industry and municipal departments.
Data & Statistics
- Reservoir Levels: Osman Sagar 2.2 TMC/3.5 TMC; Himayat Sagar 2.1 TMC/2.5 TMC; Singur 3.4 TMC/29.9 TMC; Nagarjuna 184.2 TMC/312 TMC.
- Lake Water Availability: ~500 of 6,000 lakes contain water.
- Pump Sets: 15 lakh of 30 lakh agricultural pump sets have dried up.
- Electricity Demand: 20,000 MW versus 13,000 MW in the comparable season of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
NGOs point to under-utilised historic stepwells that could supply a substantial portion of the city’s needs, indicating a gap between existing infrastructure and its deployment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “With water in the Singur Dam and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam dropping to precarious levels because of sparse rainfall, the HMWSSB is actively shifting its standard alternate-day supply schedule to a restricted routine of once every three days for major parts of the city to conserve what remains,” — Ashok Reddy
- “We are exploring alternative water arrangements, including additional supplies through the Godavari Drinking Water Scheme and the possibility of drawing more Krishna water.” — Ashok Reddy
What’s Next
- Oct 23, 2026: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will convene a meeting with senior officials at Praja Bhavan to review El Niño impacts.
- Nov 1: Launch of the green water tanker service.
- Mid-Jan to May: Implementation of the four-month employment scheme.
- Technical Cell Proposal: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy has suggested a time-bound technical cell and public dashboard to track reservoir releases, tanker movements and agricultural electricity supply.