Image used for representative purpose only

HYDERABAD: With taps running dry this summer season, the demand for private water tankers has shot through the roof in the city. And this is in addition to the 10,000 tankers being pressed into service by the water board.

Speaking to TOI, private operators say that they are individually dispatching at least five to six tankers, in multiple shifts, every day across Hyderabad-particularly to the west and central parts of the city.
“We are receiving around 10 to 12 calls for water tankers from different residential communities in Kondapur, Madhapur, and other nearby areas daily,” said Vamshi K of Manikanta Water Suppliers, Gachibowli. He added: “The calls have increased significantly this year. While four to five calls are from my regular customers, around seven to eight are from new ones. For the past two weeks, around 80 KL to 90 KL of water has been supplied through various tanks to the residential societies regularly.”
While a private operator charges around 3,500 to 4,000 for a 25 KL tanker, around 1,500 to 2,000 is the price of a 10 KL water tanker.
Ravi Shanker, a resident of a gated community in Kondapur, said that people are booking four to five water tankers per week in addition to the water being supplied from the HMWS&SB.
“Last year, we hardly booked any tankers. But this year supply from the board has been very erratic. We are getting water only for three to four hours instead of the usual seven to eight hours a day. Moreover, borewells in our locality have dried up despite digging up to 1,200 metres. Earlier, even a 600-metre-deep borewell would draw water from the ground,” he said.
Shanker said that every family in the colony is shelling out 2,500 per week to buy water. He fears that this might go up to 3,000 in May and June.
Sramana Mukherjee, a resident of a multi-storeyed building in Shaikhpet said that they have had no water supply for the past two days. “After much effort our building owner managed one tanker on Tuesday but is being forced to ration the supply as the wait for tankers is very long,” she said. “We might soon have to pay an additonal 400 to 500 for this water,” the PhD scholar added.
Meanwhile, as per the HMWS&SB, the city’s water tanker demand has already crossed the 8-lakh mark within first four months of 2025-a steep increase of 30% compared to the previous year.
“The slew of new high rises that have come up in Cyberabad which a key reason for the depleting groundwater levels. The situation is extremely worrisome,” added Vamshi.