Groundwater Levels Falling Fast in Hyderabad – Where Is the Rainwater Going?

Hyderabad, 22 July – (www.deccanlive.com): This is our Hyderabad city – everyone says it is developing at super-fast speed. But while there is progress on the surface, underground water is in danger. The groundwater levels in Hyderabad have dropped to alarming levels, and the city is now in the Red Zone for water scarcity.

Hyderabad’s growing population, increasing number of buildings, and roads with no open spaces are causing serious problems. There is no gap between houses and buildings, and cement roads everywhere are stopping rainwater from seeping into the ground. As a result, the groundwater is disappearing.

This year, the situation is worse than last year. In June last year, the average groundwater level in Hyderabad was 8.56 meters. But now, in June this year, it has dropped to 9.96 meters — a decrease of 1.40 meters.

In other districts:

In Sangareddy, the level went from 12.94 meters (2023) to 12.98 meters (2024).
In Medchal, the level dropped from 12.89 meters (2023) to 14.22 meters (2024).

Because of this, for the first time in Hyderabad’s history, people are experiencing summer-like water shortage during the rainy season. Earlier, during summer, people used to request around 11,000 water tankers per day from the Water Board. Now, even during the rainy season, 8,000 to 9,000 tankers are being used daily.

Environmental experts are warning that if this situation continues, Hyderabad will face a very serious water crisis in the near future.