Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has resolved to launch more filling stations and deploy more tankers to alleviate the acute water crisis in several areas of the city.

Due to reduced supply from the Board’s resources and plunging groundwater reserves, many areas in the city, especially the northern parts, are facing distress in terms of water.

Responding to this, Managing Director of the water board M. Dana Kishore, during a review meeting on Friday, said that new filling stations for tankers will be established at 20 locations in the city facing water crisis.

He also said that 130 more tankers could be hired, if necessary, to ply to these areas.

The demand for tankers has increased phenomenally compared to last year. Tankers deployed by the water board are making 3,000-3,600 trips daily, which is up by 60% compared to last year, when the demand was limited to 1,800-2,000 trips, as per the data shared by the water board.

Last year, a total of 55,135 trips were made by the tankers in April, which has risen to 88,231 trips this year, during the same time. During May, the trips have grown from 67,630 last year to 82,134 this year.

Mr. Dana Kishore directed the officials to establish filling stations near all the sewage treatment plants, and ensure usage of only treated waste water in the jetting machines used by the board for unclogging drains.

Besides, reduce the trips by commercial tankers, he told officials on Friday. He asked them not to supply more than three trips of 20 KL tankers and five trips of 10 KL tankers.

He also asked them to take measures so that drinking water is not polluted by drainage water and industrial effluents, and to spread awareness against wastage of water.