Hyderabad is facing one of its most serious drinking water shortages in recent years, prompting the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to declare a water emergency. The crisis has been triggered by below-normal monsoon rainfall, prolonged dry weather linked to El Niño, and rapidly declining water levels in key reservoirs supplying the city. Officials said that with only a few mandals receiving adequate rainfall, water availability has dropped sharply, forcing thousands of residents across Hyderabad and surrounding areas to depend on private water tankers for their daily needs.

The Water Board revealed that nearly 6,000 to 8,000 water tankers are being booked every day as demand continues to surge. Several localities, including Secunderabad Cantonment and areas on the city’s outskirts, are reportedly receiving drinking water only once every three or four days. Officials warned that water stored in major reservoirs such as Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Singur and Nagarjuna Sagar has fallen significantly, raising concerns that some sources could run out of usable water by the end of December if conditions do not improve. In response, the HMWSSB has intensified tanker operations, begun a citywide water audit and started exploring alternative water supply arrangements.

To reduce the impact of the crisis, the Telangana government and the Water Board have announced several conservation measures. From November 1, treated wastewater will be supplied through special “green water tankers” for construction and other non-drinking purposes, while stricter restrictions on borewell usage and penalties for wasting drinking water will also come into force. Authorities have appealed to residents to use water responsibly, as experts warn that effective conservation, better management of existing water resources and revival of traditional water bodies will be essential to overcoming Hyderabad’s growing water shortage in the months ahead.