Rainwater Harvesting Pits helped increase groundwater level by an average of three to nine metres in Hyderabad compared to the last year
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board’s campaign to augment groundwater resources in the city, ‘Prathi Intlo Inkudu Guntha’ or rainwater harvesting pit in every houseaccording to official data, is yielding results.
Similarly, as a relief from the high summer demand, the users’ dependence on water tankers for daily essentials has seen a decline.
Official estimates show that the city received over 30% excess rainfall during the monsoon. While the average rainfall is over 80 cm every year in Hyderabad, the amount absorbed by the earth’s surface is not more than 1%, and the majority is the flood that drains into the Musi river.
Citing Ground Water Department’s data, the Board said “the groundwater level, which had dropped by an average of 14 to 28 meters last summer, has risen by two to 11 meters due to the impact of RWHs. The groundwater level has increased by an average of three to nine meters compared to last year.”
A division-wise comparison of demand for water tankers, which the Board monitors keenly, also showed that the demand decreased by 12 to 50%.
“Up to 80% of the demand for tankers comes from divisions such as Kukatpally, Nizampet, Pragathi Nagar, Serilingampally, Madhapur, Manikonda, and SR Nagar. However, due to the increase in groundwater due to the impact of pits, the booking of tankers has decreased,” it explained.
The maximum 50% decline was from Vinaynagar division, Durgam Cheruvu (37%), Qutbullapur (35%), Sahebnagar (32%).
HMWS&SB managing director K. Ashok Reddy observed that there would be no need of a new water supply scheme in the future, if every house harvested rainwater and recharged groundwater. The borewell levels would naturally rise, ensuring access to daily household needs, and saving vast water transport and treatment costs.
Published – October 22, 2025 04:35 pm IST
