Hyderabad: Even before the winter season has fully set in, Hyderabad is likely to face drinking water shortages as early as December, well ahead of next summer, as water stored in the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs is estimated to last only another 55 days.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has warned that the city could face water shortages from early December due to declining reservoir levels.
To ensure uninterrupted water supply to the city, HMWSSB is preparing contingency measures to serve 15 lakh consumers and prevent disruptions to nearly three lakh water connections amid declining reservoir levels and groundwater depletion.
HMWSSB officials said consumption controls and alternative water sources would help prevent widespread supply disruptions during summer. The board is working on contingency arrangements as storage levels in some of the city's major drinking water sources continue to decline.
HMWSSB Managing director K. Ashok reddy said the board estimates a shortfall of around 100 million gallons per day (MGD) against the assured supply of 120 MGD from the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs, following a sharp decline in their storage levels. The shortage could put around 3.5 lakh water connections at risk across the western corridor, stretching from Patancheru to Narsingi.
To partly offset the deficit, the board is planning to arrange an additional 60 MGD from alternative sources, including Godavari and Krishna water, along with adjustments to the existing distribution network. The proposed arrangement includes 40 MGD from the Godavari, 15 MGD through Krishna water and five MGD through distribution adjustments.
The contingency plan covers nearly three lakh water connections across nine Assembly constituencies, either fully or partly. These include Serilingampally, Patancheru, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Sanathnagar, Kukatpally, Karwan, Rajendranagar and Qutbullapur.
Several localities, including Erramanzil, Somajiguda, Banjara Hills, Yousufguda, Borabanda, Ameerpet, Sanathnagar, KPHB, Moosapet, Bharat Nagar, Shaikpet, Tolichowki, Kismatpur, Nizampet and Pragathi Nagar, are covered under the proposed arrangements.
As part of the plan, the board intends to withdraw the existing 20 MGD supplied to Mission Bhagiratha and make an additional 20 MGD available through the scheme by November 15. It also plans to pump an additional 15 MGD of Krishna water from Mir Alam towards the Sainikpuri Balancing Reservoir through Shahebnagar. Another five MGD will be diverted to Manikonda by rationalising supplies from Krishna Phase-II Ring Main-I.
The latest reservoir data, as of November 5, indicates varying storage levels across the city's major drinking water sources. Singur stood at 1,685 ft against its Full Tank Level (FTL) of 1,717 ft, while Manjeera was at 1,642 ft against its FTL of 1,651 ft. Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar stood at 1,782 ft and 1,760 ft, respectively
Ashok Reddy said other major water sources, including Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Godavari at Yellampally and Krishna at Nagarjuna Sagar, had sufficient reserves to last 300 days or more. The city currently has around 560 MGD available from its existing water sources.
He further said tanker demand had increased significantly, with bookings rising from 48,284 in October 2025 to 1,92,889 in October 2026. The number of tankers delivered also increased from around 87,000 to 2.27 lakh during the same period.
The managing director attributed the declining reliability of Singur and Manjeera to inadequate inflows, noting that the reservoirs receive substantial flood inflows only once every three to four years. This year, they received almost no significant inflows, while groundwater recharge has also declined compared with last year.
For long-term water security, the board is banking on the Godavari Phase II and III projects, which are expected to add around 300 MGD to Hyderabad's drinking water supply by December 2027.
HMWSSB MD expressed confidence that the city would have adequate drinking water supplies by the summer of 2028.