Water experts warn Hyderabad may face Bengaluru-type water crisis

Hyderabad : Ahead of World Water Day on Friday, experts warned that Hyderabad may face a severe water crisis like Bengaluru as the Telangana capital already struggling. The experts suggested that the crisis like situation can be avoided if government takes emergency measures to conserve the available water resources in the State. The experts stressed that people should also adopt sustainable methods to ensure the future generations do not face water crisis.

According to the latest groundwater level reports, the average depth of water levels from the surface in Telangana over five years that is in January 2020 has recorded 8.88 meters below ground level(mbgl), 6.56 mbgl in 2021, 6.16 mbgl in 2022, 6.22 mbgl in 2023 and 7.72 mbgl in 2024. It is learnt that all the districts have witnessed a dip in groundwater levels for the first time in last five years. Few experts stated that to there is a need to preserve the ground water for rainwater harvesting pits.

According to Water Warriors, “we are aware of what the residents of Bengaluru going through and such same situation should not arise in Telangana, for that both state government and locals should work together which can conserve a lot of gallons of water. Few solutions are that will help to conserve waterare water meters that can be installed in every apartment or houses, in the city.”

They also said that if this method is implemented then we can monitor how much level of water we are consuming on daily basis and added that darning out water from the lakes should be stopped in the name of re-development.”

“It will be better if citizen starts adopting water usage per person less than 95 liters then we can preserve a lot of gallon of water.”

Stretching a dire need for water harvesting pits, Kalpana Ramesh, water conservationist, said “We have done a surveywhere 85 percent of rainwater harvesting pit in the city are not maintained, as people with enthusiasm construct the pit but they failed to maintain it. They are only few people do it as a ritual every year. Rainwater harvesting means how to push the groundwater into the ground but the actual fact is that harvesting pits is not an easy job, where a person needs to be aware of its very size pacific, the locality of rock zone or mud zone. If all these solutions are maintained or implemented then people will get a fruitful result. As water harvesting pits are savior during crisis, our society Rolling Hills, Gachibowli is best example as we have constructed 26 pits and 13 injection bores. Over the past 12 years, this approach has saved millions of liters of water. Every drop of water should be saved which will help us in conserving water for future generation, she added.

Few residential colonies in the city pockets are the best example of conserving water , as they are not facing the crisis because of harvesting pits said BT Srinivasam, General Secretary, Federation of Malkajgiri Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and water warrior. He also said RWAs in Greater Hyderabad played a key role in conserving water, basically it all started in 2009 when GHMC announced a scheme to reimburse 70% of rainwater who constructedrain harvesting pit in their own house. Many colonies in the city that is Begumpet, Malkajgiri hardly depend on water tankers during summer.”