Hyderabad water tanker usage hits record high this summer
Hyderabad: This summer, the use of water tankers has been steadily increasing over the past four months. As of May 17, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has made 1.41 lakh trips to deliver water to paid consumers since the beginning of the month.
According to Hyderabad Water Board officials, compared to last year, there has been a significant increase in the demand for water tankers this summer, reaching an all-time high in many localities that rely on them.
Since February, there has been a surge in demand for water tankers, with around 77,220 bookings made this year compared to 56,144 bookings last year.
In March, approximately 1.70 lakh tanker trips were made, while in April, the number rose to 2.38 lakh trips for consumers in Greater Hyderabad and its periphery.
From May 1 to 17, the Water Board made 1.41 lakh trips by water tankers. Most of the bookings came from the western parts of the city, including Manikonda, Banjara Hills, Kukatpally, Miyapur, Hafeezpet, and Gachibowli.
During a recent review meeting, the Hyderabad Water Board revealed that they are now delivering tankers within 24 hours to consumers. This improvement is due to an increased fleet of tankers and the opening of additional filling stations.
Generally, Water Board tankers are in demand from the second or third week of March each year.
However, this year, due to the depleting groundwater levels, the demand for tankers in the city began in the third week of February.
Most localities within GHMC limits depend on groundwater. In response to the increased demand, several measures have been taken to ensure an adequate water supply within GHMC limits.