Groundwater: Hyderabad identified as over-exploited district in India

Of the 16 mandals in Hyderabad district, 11 have been categorised as ‘overexploited’, four are ‘critical’ districts while one mandal has been identified as ‘semi-critical’, according to Ministry of Jal Shakti

Hyderabad: In terms of groundwater resources, Hyderabad district has been identified as an over-exploited (OE) district by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The Ministry declared over-exploited results for the year 2023-24 in India in May and Hyderabad district is one among them. Of the 16 mandals in the district, 11 have been categorised as ‘overexploited’, four as ‘critical’ districts while one mandal has been identified as ‘semi-critical’.

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According to the results, the over-exploited areas are mostly observed in the eastern part of Hyderabad. Of all 16 mandals in these parts, the Charminar mandal stood top with 117.1 per cent in groundwater over-exploitation while Tirumalagiri mandal in Secunderabad secured the least in the district with 75.5 per cent in exploitation.

The survey on groundwater exploitation was carried out in Hyderabad district based on the instructions of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and certain parameters fixed for the purpose, a senior GWD official said.

During the survey, it was observed that private rigs were extracting the groundwater indiscriminately, violating the Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA). Apart from this, massive constructions in all areas of the district continue round the year leading to indiscriminate withdrawal of groundwater operations, the Ground Water Department official explained.

“With Hyderabad identified as the OE district, the Ministry instructed us to draw a special action plan for the preservation and augmentation of groundwater sources”, the official said.

The district’s groundwater levels have reached critical status, and thus, efforts were being made to address the issue and implement sustainable water management practices.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti also advised the GWD to implement the Ground Water Extraction rules in the Hyderabad district so that every groundwater user would pay a cess and extraction charges to the government.

Till the end of May 2025, Hyderabad district received 828.4 mm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 1099.6 mm, which is 24.6 per cent less than normal rainfall, according to the latest reports on the groundwater table measured in May.

Groundwater exploitation according to Ground Water Department survey:

• Golconda — 135 %
• Amberpet — 106.8%
• Ameerpet — 126.7%
• Asfinagar — 127.8%
• Himayatnagar — 116.6%
• Khairatabad — 106.9%
• Musheerbad — 100.6%
• Saidabad — 129.7%
• Secunderabad — 101.9%
• Shaikpet — 101%
• Marredpally & Nampally — 99.7%
• Bandlaguda — 97.1%
• Bahudrpura — 96%