Apartments, gated communities and residential complexes across the city are increasingly depending on water tankers to meet their daily needs as irregular municipal water supply and falling groundwater levels leave residents struggling to meet their daily needs.
The situation is particularly acute in the rapidly developing Madhurawada region, where several residential communities are receiving Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) water only once every two or three days. Borewells that once supplemented supplies are also drying up, forcing residents to buy water from private suppliers.
The rainfall deficit this year and low water levels in reservoirs have aggravated the situation, prompting apartment associations to hold emergency meetings and introduce measures to ration water. Several communities are urging residents to restrict consumption to essential needs and are looking at strengthening rainwater harvesting systems.
At Rohith Empire in Madhurawada, which has 40 flats, municipal water is being supplied once every two to three days, said its secretary Govardhana Naidu. “The 300-foot borewells have almost dried up, leaving residents dependent on two 20,000-litre tankers a week,” he added.
“The additional expenditure on tankers is more than ₹20,000 a month. We have also tried the GVMC helpline for tanker supplies, but the response has been mixed. On one occasion, the GVMC called back after nearly 24 hours, by which time we had already arranged a private tanker,” he said.
At Haritha Apartments near IT Hills Junction, the problem is on a much larger scale. Resident Govinda Rao said the complex has 710 flats in 11 blocks and receives municipal water once every two to three days.
“We are procuring tankers of 10,000 to 20,000 litres almost every two days,” he said.
At Lansum Greens in Madhavadhara, two of the five borewells have dried up, said resident and consultant engineer specialising in infrastructure and fire safety, Krishnamurthy Somayajula.
“We have 280 apartments and are getting bulk water from the GVMC, for which we are paying around ₹2 lakh a month. Rapid construction has turned the city into a concrete jungle, while this year’s rainfall deficit has further depleted groundwater,” he said.
Mr. Somayajula said rainwater harvesting should be made mandatory for buildings to improve groundwater recharge and reduce dependence on external water sources.
Some communities that recently faced acute shortages have seen improvement following GVMC intervention. Residents of MVV City in PM Palem staged a protest last week demanding action on the water shortage.
A resident said the situation had eased after the GVMC began supplying nearly 200 kilolitres of bulk water a day through tankers. Borewells and a few private tankers are being used to meet the remaining demand.
“The situation had become difficult earlier as private tankers had stopped coming. There is no major problem at present as the GVMC has been supplying bulk water,” the resident said.
At Oxygen Towers in Seethammadhara, residents are not facing an immediate shortage, but have been advised to use water cautiously.
Dr. James Adams, Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Vizag, and a resident, said, “As of now, we are not facing a shortage of water, but everyone has been asked to use water cautiously”
Visakhapatnam Apartment Resident Welfare Association (VARWA) has already organised protests over the issue. Its secretary BB Ganesh said the authorities should have anticipated the situation and planned for the shortage in advance.
Mr KSR Murthy from AP Federation of Resident Welfare Association (APFERWAS) said the crisis highlighted the urgent need for water conservation, particularly rainwater harvesting, as the city’s built-up area continues to expand.
Published – September 20, 2026 08:03 pm IST
