Hyderabad water shortage has disrupted residential colleges, private hostels and student accommodation across the city’s Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) area, prompting Sri Chaitanya and Narayana campuses to announce temporary holidays until Diwali. Osmania University is also preparing for shorter water-supply hours after receiving a notice from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
Sri Chaitanya and Narayana Colleges in and around Madhapur announced the temporary closure of their residential campuses on Tuesday. The institutions asked parents to take their wards home by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning as campuses struggled to maintain water supplies for drinking, cooking, bathing and other daily requirements.
The announcements led many students to leave the city, with several travelling through Metro stations around Hitec City to reach bus terminals and railway stations. Nearly 10 Narayana Junior Colleges in Madhapur and Ayyappa Society also declared temporary holidays until Diwali. Sri Chaitanya management announced home-sick holidays for students at several of its city branches.
The residential campuses had been relying on private water tankers to meet daily demand. According to the report, action by officials against tanker operators affected these supplies, leaving the colleges unable to maintain regular deliveries. Private hostels in the CURE region, which also depend on tankers, are facing similar difficulties.
The colleges have not yet announced reopening dates. Their managements said the dates would be communicated later and that daily online classes would be conducted during the closure so students could continue their academic work from home.
At Osmania University, sources said HMWSSB had informed the institution about a reduction in the duration of water supply. The university responded by shifting some students from hostels facing shortages to buildings with more reliable access. University sources said some hostels were clubbed for this purpose.
The university is also relying on its large open areas and borewells. Its sources said the institution was not anticipating an acute water crisis at present, despite preparing for the reduced supply duration communicated by HMWSSB. The reported shortage has been linked by the source to the El Niño impact, while the immediate disruption has exposed the dependence of large student campuses and hostels on private tanker networks.
