Curation Team
HYDERABAD: The city’s water bodies shrank by close to 500% between 2000 and 2020 — from 12,535 hectares to 2,280 hectares — adversely impacting Hyderabad’s natural water network, as per a new study by a city researcher. During the same period, the city’s built-up space doubled – from just about 38,863 hectares in 2000 to 80,111 hectares by 2020. Result: Water levels in all major lakes such as Osmansagar, Himayatsagar and Durgam Cheruvu dropped drastically, pushing Hyderabad towards acute water shortage.
“These water bodies – vital for groundwater recharge and biodiversity – have either been encroached upon, polluted or left to wither. The result has been a steady decline in both water quality and availability,” said M Kamraju, a former research scholar from the Center for Economic and Studies who conducted the study.
Published in the Earth Sciences Malaysia journal, the study attributes this shift to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, led by the growth of IT hubs, commercial centres and residential townships. The expansion of Hi-Tec City, Gachibowli, and the Financial District have been major contributors.
The researcher who worked for nearly two and a half years on the study found that the number of lakes in Hyderabad dropped sharply from about 3,500 to just 650 over the past two decades.
“While there have been sporadic conservation efforts, they are far too limited to offset the mounting pressures of urbanisation,” he said.
The impact is already evident in the city’s groundwater levels, which remain alarmingly low despite excess rainfall in nearly 90% of Greater Hyderabad.
In many areas including Malkajgiri, Ameerpet, Kukatpally and Alwal, groundwater levels are at rock bottom in August, shows data from Telangana groundwater department. The situation has led to huge demand for water tankers which soared to nearly 10,000 a day in peak months of April and May.
Experts said adequate green zones and water bodies – vital for maintaining ecological balance – are missing from the city’s urbanisation model. A proportionate share of open space was essential during large-scale development, but Hyderabad’s model shows a clear imbalance.
“The fallout is already visible: uncontrolled flooding during rains, erratic rainfall patterns, and even tremors in some areas as land and water systems come under stress. This trend will only intensify in the years to come,” said KM Lakshmana Rao, retired professor from JNTUH and an expert in disaster management.
Researchers emphasised that policy measures must prioritise green infrastructure, smarter land-use management, and stronger environmental conservation efforts to tackle mounting ecological challenges.
“Urban governance in Hyderabad must move beyond reactive infrastructure development to embrace proactive spatial planning frameworks that integrate green buffers, protect natural drainage systems, and prioritise sustainable land use. Strategies such as enforcing urban growth boundaries, promoting vertical growth over horizontal sprawl, conserving remnant green spaces, and restoring degraded water bodies can contribute to a more resilient and sustainable urban ecosystem,” Kamraju added
Decline in crop area
A steep decline in rainfed crop area was recorded, dropping from 72,817 hectares in 2000 to just 37,902 hectares by 2020. This sharp contraction points to a growing trend of farmland being converted into residential, commercial and industrial zones. The expansion of housing projects, business complexes, and infrastructure developments has reduced the scope for rainfed farming.
