Explained: India's groundwater crisis and why Hyderabad tops the list of most affected cities

NEW DELHI: India’s groundwater situation is becoming progressively severe, with respective regions reporting alarming levels of depletion, drinking h2o shortages and contamination.

Among the large cities, Hyderabad has go India's worst-affected metropolitan portion for groundwater depletion, overtaking larger cities specified arsenic Delhi and Mumbai, according to the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2025 released by the Union ministry of Jal Shakti.The study recovered that 26 mandals and tehsils crossed Greater Hyderabad, including areas successful Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, person been classified arsenic either "critical" oregon "over-exploited" owed to excessive groundwater extraction.

This is the highest fig recorded among each Indian metros.

Delhi, contempt having a colonisation of astir 3.3 crore, has 21 specified units, portion Bengaluru has 16. The attraction of groundwater-stressed zones successful Greater Hyderabad is higher than that seen successful respective ample states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.Hyderabad territory records nary harmless groundwater zonesThe study paints an particularly worrying representation for Hyderabad district, wherever nary of the 16 groundwater appraisal units falls nether the "safe" category.

Only 1 portion has been classified arsenic semi-critical, portion the remaining 15 person been placed successful the captious oregon over-exploited categories. Areas specified arsenic Khairatabad, Ameerpet, Himayatnagar, Bachupally, Serilingampally, Hayathnagar and Saroornagar are among the worst affected.

Under Central Ground Water Board guidelines, regions extracting little than 70% of disposable groundwater are considered safe. Areas extracting 71-90% are categorised arsenic semi-critical, 90-100% arsenic critical, portion those extracting much than 100% are termed over-exploited.Excessive borewell drilling and municipality maturation worsen crisisOfficials property the worsening concern to accelerated urbanisation, extended operation enactment and wide drilling of borewells crossed the city.“Hardly 15% of the metropolis is equipped with rainwater harvesting recharge pits. Despite Hyderabad receiving yearly rainfall of 900 mm to 1,000 mm, a important information of rainwater flows straight into drains due to the fact that of inadequate unfastened spaces and greenish screen for groundwater percolation,” said K Laxma, manager of the Telangana Groundwater Department.He warned that groundwater levels are falling steadily owed to inadequate recharge efforts.“If rainwater harvesting pits are decently maintained, groundwater levels tin stay wrong 10 metres depth. In the lack of recharge practices, h2o levels are present falling to depths of 20 metres and beyond,” Laxman said.Rocky terrain and mediocre recharge systems adhd to Hyderabad's challengesExperts accidental Hyderabad faces a unsocial geological disadvantage compared to respective different large cities.“Unlike cities specified arsenic Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, Hyderabad is mostly situated connected rocky terrain, making earthy rainwater percolation much difficult. In softer ungraded regions, rainwater seeps underground much efficiently during rainfall events, aiding groundwater recharge. The occupation successful Hyderabad is further aggravated by mediocre implementation of rainwater harvesting systems,” said B Venkateswara Rao, retired prof astatine the Centre for Water Resources, JNTUH.Officials estimation that portion Hyderabad territory officially has astir 2.5 lakh borewells, the existent fig could beryllium acold higher. Across Greater Hyderabad, the fig of borewells is believed to beryllium adjacent to 10 lakh.Many borewells are reportedly drilled illegally beyond the 400-foot extent bounds prescribed nether the Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA), 2002.One-fourth of Telangana moves retired of harmless groundwater categoryThe groundwater appraisal besides highlights increasing accent crossed Telangana.Out of the state's 620 groundwater appraisal units, lone 473 stay successful the harmless category. The remaining units person shifted into semi-critical, captious oregon over-exploited classifications.Groundwater prime is besides becoming a concern. Fluoride contamination has been detected successful respective areas, including Bachupally, Balanagar, Malkajgiri, Ghatkesar and Medchal.Karnataka villages conflict drinking h2o shortagesWhile Hyderabad grapples with groundwater depletion, Karnataka is facing wide drinking h2o shortages up of summer.According to information from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, 344 villages crossed 58 taluks are presently affected.Bengaluru South successful Ramanagara territory is the worst-hit area, with 55 villages facing h2o scarcity. Raichur follows with 41 affected villages, portion Uttara Kannada and Tumakuru person reported shortages successful 27 and 26 villages respectively.Several districts successful northbound Karnataka and the Bengaluru Rural loop are experiencing expanding unit owed to falling groundwater levels and rising demand.Hundreds of villages beryllium connected tankers and backstage borewellsAuthorities person deployed large-scale exigency measures to tackle the shortage.Currently, 210 villages beryllium connected h2o tankers, portion 125 villages trust connected backstage borewells. Overall, 99 tankers and 282 borewells person been deployed crossed affected districts.“Areas astir Haliyal and Mundgod are the worst-affected areas due to the fact that h2o levels are depleting and proviso is constrained owed to terrain challenges.

We are moving connected multi-village schemes wherever we are hiring backstage borewells and deploying tankers. We person besides instructed gram panchayats and officials to guarantee capable h2o proviso crossed the district. In Kumta, the colony is babelike connected tankers arsenic borewell h2o prime is poor,” Dileesh Sasi, main enforcement serviceman of Uttara Kannada, zilla panchayat said.However, officials said 11 districts person not reported immoderate drinking h2o shortages truthful acold owed to stronger infrastructure and drought preparedness.

Funding gaps stay a situation successful KarnatakaAuthorities accidental constricted backing is making it hard to afloat code the crisis.Of the Rs 60 crore allocated for exigency drinking h2o works during 2025-26, lone Rs 43.7 crore has been released. Against a full request of Rs 132.2 crore, officials person received Rs 91.5 crore.“We are moving towards mitigating drinking h2o proviso issues and ensuring that each household has entree to capable and bully prime drinking water,” said Randeep D, director, agrarian h2o proviso & sanitation department.Maharashtra's Marathwada sees tanker deployment transverse 400In Maharashtra, the h2o situation has intensified sharply crossed the Marathwada region.The fig of h2o tankers deployed has present crossed 400, much than doubling from astir 156 tankers recorded a period earlier.Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is the worst-affected territory and accounts for astir two-thirds of each tanker operations.Official figures amusement that the territory has 259 tankers successful service, followed by Jalna with 85, Dharashiv with 17, Nanded with 14, Parbhani with 11, Beed with eight, Latur with 3 and Hingoli with two.“Over 1,150 backstage wells person been acquired successful the portion for refilling tankers and fulfilling the h2o needs of affected residents. Standing instructions person been successful spot to put a tanker if villagers assertion scarcity,” a elder authoritative from the gross section said, appealing to residents to guarantee judicious usage of water.Rainfall deficiency worsens Marathwada's h2o woesMarathwada has received lone 38 mm of rainfall since June 1, reflecting an wide rainfall deficiency of astir 23%.Some districts person recorded adjacent larger deficits, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar astatine 73%, Jalna astatine 62% and Hingoli astatine 55%.Earlier authoritative figures showed that 127 villages and hamlets crossed the portion were facing terrible shortages, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar accounting for 85 affected settlements.“As the summertime progresses, drinking h2o sources are depleting, starring to scarcity successful respective pockets.

Local authorities person lasting instructions to put h2o tankers instantly upon receiving complaints from residents,” said a elder authoritative from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Divisional Commissioner's office.Reservoir levels and heatwaves adhd pressureLive retention successful major, mean and insignificant irrigation projects crossed Marathwada has dropped to astir 41%.Although retention levels stay somewhat amended than past year, respective reservoirs person reached concerning levels.The situation has been worsened by utmost temperatures. During precocious April, parts of Marathwada recorded temperatures astir 43°C, accelerating evaporation losses and expanding unit connected disposable h2o resources.Punjab faces groundwater depletion and uranium contaminationPunjab is confronting a antithetic but arsenic superior h2o challenge, combining excessive groundwater extraction with contamination concerns.Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu raised the contented during Question Hour, informing that the authorities is facing a "water emergency".According to Sandhu, 19 of Punjab's 23 districts person been classified arsenic acheronian zones, indicating terrible over-exploitation of groundwater resources.Punjab's extraction complaint highest successful the countryAccording to MP Satnam Singh Sandhu said Punjab's groundwater extraction complaint has reached 156.36%, the highest successful India and acold supra the nationalist mean of astir 60%.He linked the concern mostly to water-intensive paddy cultivation.“Punjab is facing a h2o emergency. Due to paddy cultivation, 19 districts are successful the acheronian portion and much than 62% of the groundwater samples incorporate uranium levels higher than anyplace other successful the country. The precocious uranium contented poses a imaginable hazard of cancer,” helium said.He besides cited findings suggesting that groundwater levels could autumn beneath 300 metres by 2039 if existent extraction trends continue.Centre announces backing for h2o conservationResponding to the concerns, Union jal shakti curate CR Patil said the Centre has allocated Rs 32,000 crore successful the existent fiscal twelvemonth for h2o conservation and the revival of acheronian zones nether the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission.The curate said water-stressed regions are being prioritised for involution and funding.Patil besides highlighted the value of nationalist information successful h2o conservation efforts, stating that astir 44 lakh h2o conservation structures person already been created nationwide.He added that the "Karmabhoomi se Matrabhoomi" inaugural aims to promote NRIs and migrants to enactment h2o conservation projects successful their autochthonal villages, with a people of creating 1 crore specified structures crossed the country.Growing informing signs crossed IndiaThe situations unfolding successful Hyderabad, Karnataka, Marathwada and Punjab underline the increasing unit connected India's groundwater resources.From unchecked extraction and accelerated urbanisation to drought conditions, contamination and clime stress, the challenges alteration crossed regions. However, experts hold that stronger groundwater recharge measures, sustainable h2o absorption and large-scale conservation efforts volition beryllium indispensable to forestall the situation from worsening successful the coming years.