India’s water crisis deepens as Hyderabad might run out of water, like Chennai

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India’s water crisis deepens as Hyderabad might run out of water, like Chennai
  • Hyderabad may not have drinking water in the next 48 days.
  • A sluggish monsoon that brought little rainfall in Telangana state, has put Hyderabad at the brink of a water crisis.
  • It could affect its 6.8 million residents.
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India’s worst ever water crisis might cripple the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad — in the next 48 days.

A sluggish monsoon that brought little rainfall in Telangana state, has put its capital — Hyderabad— at the brink of a water crisis. And, it could affect its 6.8 million residents.

Since July 1, Hyderabad district witnessed 115.1 mm of rainfall. But it is 29% lower than its normal rainfall, said Telangana State Development Planning Society.

“If monsoon plays truant, there is every likelihood of Hyderabad facing water crisis from the second week of September,” said an official to Times Of India.

This will be the second city that will be in trouble after Chennai ran out of water, forcing its government to bring in water using train wagons. All the four reservoirs of Chennai ran dry, leaving its residents scrambling for water to drink.

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Drying Reservoirs

There are two primary sources of water in Hyderabad — the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir (River Krishna) and the Yellampalli reservoir (River Godavari). Water levels at both these reservoirs are dangerously low, spreading fears of an acute water crisis.

In spite of the rains, there isn’t any fresh water from any of the sources including the twin reservoirs of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar. The state authorities are hoping that rainfall in the next two-three weeks can restore the situation back to normal.

In case the water level doesn’t rise, the state authorities will have to prepare an emergency action plan that involves pumping out water from reservoirs.


Nation-wide crisis

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The government think tank NITI Aayog believes that 21 of the country’s major cities will be devoid of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people. It named New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad in its list.

Water has been a cause for stress in the country. While most cities are in want of water, others are facing an excess. Floods in Assam have displaced a million people, and killed eleven as the state continues to face problems.

Experts are calling for privatising water supply as a cost-effective measure that can bring in efficiencies into water management.


“Mumbai loses 25% of its water to leakage and theft. Similarly, 37% of the water leaks out of Bangalore’s pipelines. Politicians and bureaucrats receive water in their own homes, and receive their salaries regardless of how poorly they perform their duties. Not surprisingly, they see no need to improve. an economist wrote in the South China Morning Post.”


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See also:
The first special train carries 2 million litres of water to Chennai — but the quick fix might not solve its problems
Five years on, India may not even get a chance to solve its on-going water crisis risking hundreds of millions of lives
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