Hyderabad: Around 30 mandals in the Core Urban Region (CURE) are drought-hit, with some categorised as ‘severely’ affected. Greater Hyderabad area, which falls under three municipal corporations, is already facing drinking water issues amid depleting groundwater levels and rising demand for water tankers from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).Rangareddy district, which has the highest per capita income in the state, exceeding both state and national averages, has 18 drought-hit mandals out of a total of 27. Of these, five mandals have been categorised as severely drought-affected, while the remaining 13 are classified as moderately drought-affected, as declared by state govt on Tuesday.Govt listed Gandipet, Rajendranagar, Hayatnagar, Abdullapurmet and Kothur as severely drought-affected mandals. Shamshabad, Maheshwaram, Ibrahimpatnam, Kandukur, Saroornagar and Balapur are among those classified as moderately drought-affected due to deficit rainfall. According to planning department data, Rangareddy district received 468 mm of rainfall against the normal of 547 mm, a deficit of about 14%.In other districts falling within the CURE limits, nine mandals were declared drought-hit. Qutubullapur, Medipally and Ghatkesar were categorised as severely drought-affected, while Bachupally, Kapra, Keesara, Alwal and Malkajgiri were among those classified as moderately drought-affected. Medchal-Malkajgiri district received only 407 mm of rainfall against the normal of 603 mm, resulting in a deficit of about 33%. In Sangareddy district, Ameenpur, Patancheru, RC Puram, which fall within the Greater Hyderabad area, were also affected by drought. Sangareddy and Nalgonda topped the list of drought-hit districts in the state, with 28 affected mandals each.In rural districts, govt has directed collectors to undertake relief measures over the next six months. These include providing input subsidies through direct benefit transfer, ensuring drinking water supply, managing fodder availability, setting up cattle camps, generating employment under VB-G Ram G scheme and rescheduling loans. For urban mandals, the water board has been asked to ensure adequate water supply. Restrictions on water supply may be introduced in the near future, while residential welfare associations and gated communities will be urged to prevent water wastage. The board is planning to complete the ring main project to augment water supply to the western part of the city using alternative sources, including Krishna and Godavari rivers.
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