Hyderabad: Groundwater being stolen in broad daylight across Hyderabad is a known secret. Even though it’s all done in the open, no one stops it. Despite repeated complaints, officials continue to look the other way, leaving residents helpless and worried about the future.
Areas like Tellapur, Osmannagar, Tarnaka, Dathunagar near Balapur and several other locations across the city have become hubs of illegal groundwater extraction. Locals, speaking with Deccan Chronicle, said this has been going on for years, with no action despite repeated complaints to officials.
At Sai Ganesh Nagar Colony near Balapur, residents complained that the private tankers arrive early in the morning. “This has been going on for years. I have lived here for 12 years and it’s always been the same,” said S. Asif, Sai Ganesh Nagar Colony’s vice president. “We’ve raised complaints many times, but no one listens. I see over 100 tankers here every single day. It might not be a crisis now, but if this process continues, our borewells will run dry,” he added.
Another resident from the colony, who didn’t want to be named, said the issue goes beyond just water. “These tankers damage our roads. We had CC roads built with our own funds, but now they are full of cracks and potholes. The drivers are reckless and despite us complaining, there’s no one to stop them.”
Even though a government order, GO 15 of 2023, which makes it mandatory for all commercial water tankers to register and obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs), is in place, many are being operated illegally.
According to the groundwater department, only 104 tankers have been registered from the areas of Medchal and Rangareddy districts, a small number compared to what’s actually operating across the districts.
The situation is the same across many neighborhoods in the city. “Every day more than 100 tankers block the Gopanpally and Osmannagar road, drawing water illegally,” said E. Ramana, a resident from Tellapur. “We’ve raised this issue multiple times with the concerned MRO, but no action has been taken so far. And some landlords who lease their land for borewell operations say it’s their land and they could do whatever they want,” he added.
When asked about the lack of enforcement, authorities gave vague responses. They admitted that while regulations like the WALTA Act exist, there’s hardly any proper implementation on the ground. “There are no dedicated committees or teams in place. Without coordination between departments, it’s very difficult to act,” said a senior official from the groundwater department.
He further added that `19.59 crore was collected as groundwater extraction charges and `61 lakh in penalties between April 2024 and now. Despite the WALTA Act being imposed on several illegal borewell connections, tankers continue to operate freely and residents say people have no fear of being caught. The lack of follow up action and visible penalties has only encouraged more violations.
“It’s not like this is happening in secret, anyone walking through these colonies can see lines of tankers sucking up groundwater non-stop. But the authorities act like they’re blind. They have the laws, they have the power, they’ve collected crores in extraction charges but when it comes to stopping the illegal tankers, there is just silence. This is daylight robbery and the system is letting it happen,” said Sai Teja, a civic activist.