📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / kamran.solangi
Agriculture
Hyderabad bans new borewells for construction projects
✍️ INDToday
🗓 20 Oct 2026, 04:32 PM
👁 16
The Hyderabad municipal authorities have announced a halt on granting fresh borewell permits for any new construction, aiming to curb groundwater depletion.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) issued an order today that no new borewell licences will be issued for any construction activity across the city. The directive comes as part of a broader effort to address the sharp decline in groundwater levels recorded over the past decade.
Officials said the ban will apply to residential, commercial and industrial projects until a comprehensive water‑resource management plan is finalized. Existing borewells will continue to operate, but owners will be required to submit periodic usage reports.
The water department warned that unchecked drilling has lowered the water table by several metres, increasing dependence on distant sources and raising the risk of land subsidence. Stakeholders, including builders’ associations, have been asked to cooperate while alternative water‑saving measures are promoted.
The order will be enforced through routine inspections, and violations could attract penalties as per the state’s water conservation regulations.
Officials said the ban will apply to residential, commercial and industrial projects until a comprehensive water‑resource management plan is finalized. Existing borewells will continue to operate, but owners will be required to submit periodic usage reports.
The water department warned that unchecked drilling has lowered the water table by several metres, increasing dependence on distant sources and raising the risk of land subsidence. Stakeholders, including builders’ associations, have been asked to cooperate while alternative water‑saving measures are promoted.
The order will be enforced through routine inspections, and violations could attract penalties as per the state’s water conservation regulations.