Hyderabad: Water tanker demand touched an all-time high with 15,200 bookings across the city on Saturday alone, indicating the severity of the groundwater crisis that has gripped Hyderabad. Absence of summer showers throughout May has further exacerbated the water crisis.Saturday’s demand surpasses the previous daily record of 12,000 bookings and highlights the growing severity of the city’s water shortage.Demand for water tankers has remained consistently high over the past four to five days, with nearly 15,000 bookings being made daily. The scale of the crisis is evident as the current demand equates to roughly one water tanker for every 90 households across the city.According to data from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), residents consumed more than 3.1 lakh water tankers during May. To meet the demand, the water board has expanded its infrastructure, increasing the number of filling stations from 86 to 96, filling points from 141 to 167, and operational tankers from 1,135 to 1,250.With monsoon rains yet to arrive and demand continuing to rise, HMWSSB is under mounting pressure to ensure adequate water supply and timely delivery of tankers to residents. However, the surge in demand has led to significant delays in water deliveries across several localities. Residents in some parts of Banjara Hills reported waiting up to five days for booked tankers to arrive.“I had booked a tanker on May 26, but received it only on May 31 after nearly six days. We were forced to hire a private tanker at a higher cost. Since May, tanker deliveries have been delayed regularly, causing severe inconvenience to us,” said VK Jayaraj, a resident of Banjara Hills.Officials said more than 50% of tanker bookings are originating from western Hyderabad, particularly from Kukatpally, Durgam Cheruvu, Nizampet, Hafeezpet, Nanakramguda, Narsingi, Kondapur, Gachibowli along with core areas like SR Nagar, Ameerpet and Banjara Hills.HMWSSB officials attributed the crisis to critically low groundwater levels and the complete lack of summer showers during May. “We are delivering 95% of tankers within 24 hours. However, in some cases consumers do not respond to our calls after tankers are filled and dispatched, while others cancel bookings after receiving drinking water supplies,” said a senior official in HMWSSB.
