Hyderabad could face a drinking water deficit of up to 50 million gallons a day between January and August next year, prompting the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to launch a citizen reporting app and submit an emergency action plan to the Telangana government.
HMWSSB managing director K. Ashok Reddy said on Thursday that falling storage in the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs, along with declining groundwater levels, could put pressure on the city’s water supply. The board is currently supplying between 560 MGD and 570 MGD to Hyderabad.
According to Reddy, the Singur-Manjeera sources could record a shortfall of around 100 MGD during the period. The board is working to mobilise an additional 60 MGD from the Godavari and Krishna rivers and Osmansagar. The remaining gap could affect around three lakh water connections in areas between Patancheru and Narsingi.
The water-supply warning came as transport and BC welfare minister and Hyderabad district in-charge Ponnam Prabhakar launched the HMWSSB’s PAANI, or Water Warriors, mobile app at the board’s headquarters in Khairatabad. The app is designed to help residents identify and report drinking water wastage across the city.
Residents can register as water volunteers through the HMWSSB website. After verification of their registration, they can use the app to report violations. Officials will inspect the complaints and take action where warranted, including imposing penalties. Prabhakar said the primary objective was to build public awareness and responsibility rather than rely only on fines.
The minister urged households to reduce water consumption by at least 20 per cent, citing the possibility of rainfall deficits linked to El Niño conditions. He also called for more careful water use by industries, including alcohol manufacturers and private drinking water facilities, while saying the government did not want to create fear among industries and would issue suggestions on proper usage.
The administration also urged households, apartments, gated communities, schools and offices to install rainwater harvesting systems. Treated wastewater, it said, should be reused for construction, industrial activity, parks and gardening instead of being reserved for uses that require potable water.
The proposed response combines additional bulk-water mobilisation with demand management and citizen monitoring. However, the figures cited by the board indicate that the planned 60 MGD from alternative sources would not fully cover the possible 100 MGD reduction from the Singur-Manjeera system. The balance is the gap that could affect connections in the western and southwestern parts of the metropolitan area.
The government is also working on Godavari Phase II and III projects to meet Hyderabad’s future drinking water requirements, Prabhakar said. For the immediate period, the HMWSSB’s emergency action plan, source mobilisation measures and the PAANI reporting system will form the main elements of the city’s response.
