Hyderabad’s water crisis has reportedly forced hundreds of hostel residents to leave their accommodation across Hyderabad and Cyberabad over the past 48 hours, with students and private-sector employees searching for facilities that can guarantee basic supplies.
Residents packed their belongings and vacated hostels in Gachibowli, Anjaiah Nagar, Ameerpet, Himayat Nagar, Kukatpally and other parts of the city, according to a report by Telangana Today. Some were looking for alternative accommodation with reliable water, while others were reported to be stranded after leaving their hostels.
The disruption has also created financial pressure for residents who had already paid their accommodation fees. A private employee identified as A Deepika said residents had paid for secure rooms and were instead facing sudden eviction notices linked to the water shortage. Mohan Kumar, who had joined a hostel three months ago and paid Rs 7,500 a month for five more months, called the overnight demand to vacate unfair.
Residents said the shortage had reduced basic daily activities to a struggle. “We aren’t asking for luxury, just enough water to brush our teeth and survive the week,” Krishna Reddy, who has lived in a hostel in SR Nagar for a year, was quoted as saying.
Hostel operators said tanker prices had doubled as occupancy fell, weakening the revenue that many facilities use to pay for private water supplies. Operators in Gachibowli said their borewells and primary water lines had been exhausted. They also alleged that illegal tanker operations and unregulated deep drilling had depleted local aquifers, leaving businesses increasingly dependent on costly tanker deliveries.
The operators warned that some hostels could face shutdowns or financial collapse unless municipal authorities restore supplies or provide subsidised water. The reported movement of residents highlights how a disruption in urban water provision can quickly affect not only households but also the city’s large rental and hostel-based workforce and student population.
