Hyderabad faces potential groundwater crisis as water table drops across city

Hyderabad may face an acute groundwater crisis this summer, with monitoring data indicating a steady fall in water table levels across several parts of the city even before the summer months begins to peak.

Officials from the Telangana Groundwater Department said groundwater levels have declined sharply in multiple localities, raising concerns about water availability as temperatures are expected to rise in the coming weeks.

According to groundwater monitoring data collected through aquifer piezometers, several areas recorded a significant drop in groundwater levels between January and February this year.

The groundwater table declined by between 1.94 metres and 2.57 metres below ground level (BGL) in key localities including Asif Nagar, Bandlaguda, Bahadurpura, Charminar, Saidabad, Musheerabad, Ameerpet, Khairatabad, Marredpally and Tirumalagiri.

Among these, Asifnagar and Marredpally



recorded a sharp fall of about 2.5 metres in groundwater levels within a month. Other areas such as Bandlaguda, Bahadurpura, Saidabad, Ameerpet and Khairatabad witnessed groundwater depletion of more than one metre during the same period.

Officials say such rapid depletion at the beginning of the summer season is a cause for concern as groundwater extraction typically rises significantly between March and June due to increased domestic and commercial demand.

A senior official from the Groundwater Department said more than 80 percent of commercial establishments in the city depend on groundwater through borewells, while the remaining rely on tanker supply from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

Though Hyderabad received substantial rainfall during the last monsoon season, groundwater monitoring through piezometers showed the water table starting to decline from December itself.