Hyderabad Water Board earns a neat ₹20 crore in 3 months from water tankers

Hyderabad: The severe water scarcity across Greater Hyderabad this summer has made Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) richer by ₹20 crore, even as residents grappled with rising water costs.According to HMWSSB, citizens spent over ₹40 crore on water tankers during the last three months, booking more than 8 lakh tankers to meet their daily water requirements. During the same period, HMWSSB earned around ₹20 crore in revenue from tanker operations.Officials said the revenue figure was calculated after accounting for operational expenses, including payments to drivers and charges for hired vehicles. The highest earnings were recorded during the peak summer month of May, when the board generated nearly ₹8 crore from tanker services alone.A significant portion of the revenue came from areas along the western and northwestern growth corridors of the city, including Kukatpally, Durgam Cheruvu, Nizampet, Hafeezpet, Nanakramguda, Narsingi, Kondapur and Gachibowli. Core city localities such as SR Nagar, Ameerpet and Banjara Hills also contributed substantially to the demand.Residents of several gated communities in the IT corridor were among the worst affected, with many housing societies reportedly spending lakhs of rupees on tanker water. The increased expenditure led to a rise in monthly maintenance charges by ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 in several apartment complexes.However, officials clarified that revenue generation from tanker operations was never intended to be a source of income for the utility. “The Board engages water tanker trucks on a hire basis mainly during the summer months to cater to consumer demand. The deployment is gradually reduced once the monsoon sets in. This summer, more than 1,200 tankers were deployed to meet the unprecedented demand,” a senior HMWSSB official said.Despite a slight easing of temperatures in last week, dependence on tanker water remains high. HMWSSB continues to receive nearly 15,000 tanker bookings every day, indicating that water stress persists in several parts of the city.On the other hand, the Water Board is reeling under long-pending dues that have accumulated to nearly ₹3,000 crore across various consumer categories. While the Board is expected to generate around ₹150 crore per month through water charges, actual collections are limited to only ₹100 crore to ₹120 crore.Officials say the shortfall has affected the board’s ability to meet operational expenses. Water is supplied to bulk, commercial, industrial, and domestic consumers. However, monthly collections from all categories combined remain around ₹100 crore.