The pits? Rainwater rule is a runoff in Hyderabad

New Indian Express

17-07-2025

HYDERABAD: As Hyderabad grapples with water shortages and drying borewells, rainwater harvesting remains largely ignored, despite clear mandates from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Between 2020 and 2025, GHMC issued 69,575 building permits. Of these, 23,239 required rainwater harvesting structures (RWHS), yet only 33% complied. In 2024–25 alone, just 4,578 out of 11,509 approved buildings had soak pits. Only 2,036 received occupancy certificates, even though RWHS completion is mandatory.
Water sustainability expert Kalpana Ramesh, founder of The Rainwater Project, attributed this to apathy and poor enforcement. 'Even large gated communities let lakhs of litres flow into drains. A 1,000 sq. ft terrace can harvest one lakh litres a year,' she told TNIE, adding that instead of harvesting, crores are spent on deep borewells tapping contaminated, non-renewable groundwater.
She warned that rampant concrete construction blocks natural percolation, worsening the crisis. Conservationists are now demanding a zero-discharge policy, with penalties for diverting rainwater into stormwater drains (SWDs). 'If we're fined for sewage violations, why not for wasting clean rainwater?' Kalpana asked, noting that the lost water contributes to urban flooding.
Follow-up inspections are lacking, too. Srinivasa Rao, general secretary of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, said soak pits are often dismantled or repurposed as parking or landscaped areas. He suggested levying a 25% property tax penalty if RWHS is missing during random inspections. 'Guidelines alone don't help; we need enforcement,' he told TNIE.
The urgency is growing. Many borewells in the city and outskirts went dry this summer, forcing residents to rely on costly water tankers. GHMC has issued advisories urging homeowners without soak pits to construct them immediately. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has deployed geologists to help design recharge systems as the monsoon arrives.
Kalpana emphasised that Hyderabad receives enough rain. 'The problem is runoff, not shortage. If you're not harvesting rainwater or recycling greywater, you're part of the problem,' she said. Although the Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA) mandates RWHS for properties over 200 sq. metres, weak enforcement renders it toothless.
Notices to be issued to 16K households that failed to construct RWH pits: HMWSSB
Hyderabad: HMWSSB has decided to issue notices to 16,000 households for failing to construct Rainwater Harvesting Structures (RWHS). So far, with the help of NGOs, 12,000 water harvesting pits have already been constructed and maintained. HMWSSB managing director K Ashok Reddy explained that the recent deficiency in rainfall has caused groundwater levels to decline in many areas, resulting in a steady increase in water tanker requests.
To address this, RWHS are now mandatory for all households with plots larger than 300 square yards and recommended for those above 200 square yards. Following the directives of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, HMWSSB has initiated a three-month awareness campaign. Ashok Reddy further informed that water tankers are being delivered within 24 hours of booking. In summer, 11,000 tankers were delivered daily; at present, the demand stands at 8,500 tankers per day.