Water board sets record with 7L tanker trips

Hyderabad: With the monsoon expected to reach Telangana within a week, officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board are hopeful that the demand for tankers will decrease.
The water board, which faced a significant challenge in managing tanker deliveries over the summer, set a new record with an unprecedented number of trips. From January to May, more than 7.3 lakh tanker trips were made to consumers in Greater Hyderabad — a first in the Hyderabad water board’s history and a feat unmatched by any other metropolitan water board in the country.

A senior HMWS&SB official proudly stated, “The water board has set an all-time record in its 40-year journey by delivering over 7.3 lakh trips this summer, operating 850 tankers of different capacities.”
In a typical summer, nearly 50,000 to 70,000 trips will be made from April to June. However, this year saw a surge in demand starting as early as January, largely due to groundwater depletion and an early onset of summer.
For instance, in January alone, 81,851 trips were made, a significant increase compared to previous years when tanker bookings typically began at the end of March or early April.
February saw an even greater surge, with tanker bookings doubling and the board making 1.12 lakh trips. This trend continued into March, the first month of the usual summer season, with an astonishing rise in bookings.
“The demand for tankers unexpectedly rose, flooding our bookings. In response, we increased the number of tankers and trips. Thus, the water board ran tankers in day and night shifts, delivering 1.7 lakh trips,” a senior water board official said.
April also saw the highest number of deliveries, with a record-breaking 2.38 lakh trips. To cope with this demand, the water board increased the number of filling stations as well. By the end of May, a total of 7.3 lakh trips had been completed. Officials emphasised that no other metro city’s water board in the country has delivered as many trips in a single summer. However, as the monsoon approaches, the board is optimistic about a potential decrease in the need for such extensive tanker operations.