Vizag’s Water Woes Deepen as Borewells Run Dry

A sharp decline in groundwater levels, coupled with poor rainfall despite the onset of the southwest monsoon, has intensified the drinking water crisis in several parts of Visakhapatnam, pushing residents of apartment complexes and group housing societies to depend heavily on private water tankers.

The prolonged dry spell, attributed in part to El Niño conditions, has left borewells dry or yielding minimal water across localities including Maddilapalem, Arilova, Akkayyapalem, Pedawaltair, NAD, Yendada, Madhurawada, and Kommadi, among others.

Borewells that once met daily needs now yield water for barely 15 minutes after four hours of rest. Even with six operating cycles a day, supply remains limited to about one-and-a-half hours — well below household requirements.

“We are paying ₹3,500 for a tanker every other day, on top of our regular maintenance charges. The borewell gives us barely enough water to wash hands. This was never the case even two summers ago,” said K. Srinivas, a resident of an apartment complex in Madhurawada.

In many apartment complexes, water reaches flats for just one hour each in the morning and evening. Associations have begun collecting additional contributions over monthly maintenance charges to cover rising tanker costs, placing an extra burden of ₹100–₹150 per flat per day on residents. Private tankers sell a six-kilolitre load for ₹3,000–₹4,000, with no effective price regulation, while suburban 20-kilolitre tankers fetch around ₹5,000.

The crisis has also spurred commercial groundwater extraction on the city’s outskirts, with operators drilling borewells and tapping agricultural sources in nearby villages, raising concerns over long-term water security.

GVMC is supplying water at ₹90 per kilolitre through filling stations at TSR Complex, Yedada, Madhavadhara, and other points to help bridge the gap. Superintending Engineer Pallam Raju said the civic body is leaving no vehicle unserved. “On Friday alone, we supplied water to 341 vehicles — 150 auto-tankers, 97 smaller tankers, and 94 six-kilolitre tankers. We are ensuring that all tankers and auto-tankers arriving at our filling stations are attended to without delay,” he said.

However, residents and welfare associations stressed that tanker dependency is not a solution, and called for urgent measures to restore piped water supply and regulate private tanker prices across the city.