Hyderabad: With the city’s rising water needs and inconsistent supply in many areas, a growing number of households and hostels in Hyderabad are turning to private water tankers. While the water is largely considered usable, questions persist about its source, treatment and cleanliness.
Mahesh Reddy, a resident of Ameenpur, said their household relies partly on private tankers. “We get about 80 per cent of our water from the regular supply, and the remaining 20 per cent from private tankers. Since both get mixed, we can’t be sure about the water’s purity. There’s some scaling, but no major issues so far,” he said.
In Kukatpally, Sai Teja said they regularly depend on tanker supply. “The water usually comes from borewells near farmlands. It’s salty and hard, and the salt content damaged our geyser due to scale build-up,” he explained.
In Old City, residents like Mohammed Ahmed from Shalibanda said they, too, rely on tankers frequently. “We are not sure where the tankers get the water from, but the water we receive is usable,” he said. He also raised concerns about the cleanliness of the tankers inside, “We also don’t know how clean the inside of these tankers are and how often they are cleaned and maintained.”
Other residents echoed similar concerns. “The water from private tankers is usable, but it doesn’t match the quality of Manjeera water,” said Y. Raghuram Rao from Nizampet.
Hostels are among the major consumers of private tanker supply. Venkateshwara, who runs a hostel in Gachibowli, said, “We get water from Kokapet borewells. Most of the tankers provide good-quality water, though a few exceptions exist. We’ve had no serious issues so far.”
T. Lakshmi, who manages a women’s hostel in the same area, said, “We try booking HMWS&SB tankers, but they often get cancelled—either because they say we didn’t answer their call or due to other issues. We then fall back on private tankers, and thankfully, the water has been fine.”
Among operators, AVR Water Tanker Supply caters to Tarnaka, Habsiguda and Uppal. “We mostly supply to construction sites, and a few residential orders. Our water comes from agricultural borewells,” said a company representative.
Habeeb Basha, a small-scale supplier serving Himayatnagar and Narayanguda, said his water is sourced from borewells in Balapur. “We’ve had no complaints so far,” he said.
HK Water Suppliers, a larger operator, handles both government and private contracts. “We also procure water from the Water Board for commercial supply. The water is clean and safe,” a representative said.
While residents across the city continue to rely on private tankers to meet their daily needs, many remain unsure about the actual quality or treatment of the water they consume.
