Water Stats

1. 100-day water drive starts next week
2. Homes ≥200 sq. yards must build recharge pits
3. 17,400 households currently lack pits
4. Public spaces and gated communities included

Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is set to launch a 100-day special action plan from next week to improve groundwater levels across the city. HMWSSB MD Ashok Reddy said every home with a plot of 200 sq. yards must construct a recharge pit, while compounds above 300 sq. yards are required to have one. The initiative aims to conserve rainwater, reduce reliance on tankers, and address the city’s growing water demand.

As part of the campaign, HMWSSB officials and the MD visited Madhapur to raise awareness about the importance of recharge pits. Reddy highlighted a 15-flat apartment in Kakatiya Hills that successfully met its water needs through an injection borewell, showing how community participation can support groundwater conservation.

With rapid urbanization and concrete-covered land, only 0.75–0.95% of Hyderabad’s annual rainfall infiltrates the soil, leading to increased tanker demand. HMWSSB has surveyed over 40,000 households, finding around 17,400 without recharge pits. Notices have been issued to 16,000 homes, and another 25,000 are scheduled to build pits by March 2026.

The drive also targets public spaces, gated communities, schools, and commercial complexes. Idle borewells will be converted into injection wells to further recharge groundwater. HMWSSB recently received the JSJB 1.0 Award from the Central Government for excellence in water conservation, including a ₹2 crore incentive for ongoing initiatives.

MD Ashok Reddy emphasized that if every household channels 5–10 TMC of rainwater into recharge pits, it could reduce the need for future large-scale Krishna river water projects, ensuring sustainable water supply across Hyderabad.