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Hyderabad water crisis: Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana and the largest city of the state, is facing a serious water crisis like Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka. This time the situation in the city is so bad that there is a possibility of drought.
Experts have attributed this problem mainly to the significant increase in concrete structures which has resulted in a huge reduction in water spread area.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD) records show that between 2010 and 2014, the total commercial built-up area of the city saw an increase of 50.7 million square feet. This was followed by an expansion of 100.4 million square feet in the region from 2015 to 2019. From 2015 to 2021, Hyderabad witnessed an increase of over 500 million square feet in built-up residential area. Although the exact current built-up area is not available in the archives, experts insist that it has increased by between 70% to 80% in the last three years, reports TimesofIndia.indiatimes.com.
“Due to this excessive concretization in the name of urbanization, the city is witnessing severe water shortage in March itself. Concretization leaves no room for groundwater to seepage, leading to depletion of the groundwater table. Similarly, water bodies, which are intended to store water and recharge groundwater levels, are filled with sewage and pollutants. It is also the cause of the massive urban floods that we are witnessing almost every year,” said environmentalist BV Subba Rao.
According to Telangana State Pollution Control Board records, Hyderabad currently has 185 notified water bodies, of which more than 150 are either highly polluted or encroached upon, while another 20 have completely dried up, while Experts highlight that there are more than 300 water bodies that are and are not notified. That too in terrible condition.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru has been facing severe water crisis for almost two months now, and with the onset of scorching summer season, the city is facing more tough times.
The heat is expected to be more severe this year, with 7,082 villages across Karnataka and 1,193 wards, including Bengaluru urban district, facing a drinking water crisis, according to assessments made by the government till February 10.
174 villages and 120 wards are vulnerable in Bengaluru urban district.