Hyderabad – August 4, 2025
A growing crisis is unfolding in Hyderabad as the city’s residents continue to suffer from severe water shortages and choked drainage lines — while officials from the Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWSC) appear indifferent to the escalating problems.
In many areas, clean drinking water has become a luxury. While some neighbourhoods are completely without water, others are receiving a foul-smelling, murky supply through rusted, decades-old pipelines. Despite the healthy flow of water in the Indus River and sufficient levels at the Kotri Barrage, several localities situated just along the riverbank remain dry.
Latifabad’s various units, Kohisar Housing Society (Phase 1 and 2), Damane Kohisar, Mujahid Colony, Iqbal Colony, American Quarters, and Hali Road are among the hardest hit. Residents here have been left at the mercy of the water tanker mafia — a flourishing black market exploiting the system’s failure. Frustration is growing daily as people pay exorbitant amounts just to secure basic water for their homes.
Adding to the public outrage are viral videos from Liaquat Colony, where residents are posting footage of muddy water pouring out of household taps. Yet, HWSC officials have failed to take notice. Instead of addressing complaints, they have remained silent, leaving citizens feeling helpless and abandoned.
In Ganjo Takkar and SITE Area, locals recently wrote to the Sindh Chief Secretary, calling attention to a modern filtration plant at Ghaghra Mori — a facility built in 2007 with support from the Ministry of Industries and SITE Limited. The plant has been defunct for years and was quietly handed over to the now-defunct WASA. Since then, it has not been operationalized, cutting off water supply to entire communities. Residents demanded immediate action against WASA, HWSC, and the water tanker mafia.
Meanwhile, across much of the city, drainage issues have created yet another layer of hardship. Stagnant sewage water is now a regular sight on roads, with Latifabad Unit No 12 turning into a breeding ground for disease and foul stench. The main road and surrounding market have been flooded for months, thanks to clogged stormwater and sewage drains that remain uncleared.
What’s making matters worse is a repeated failure by HWSC to supply diesel to generators at key pumping stations. Every time there’s a power outage — which is frequent — the pumps stop working, and sewage water floods nearby streets. On Friday, Khuda Hafiz Chowk in Latifabad turned into a lake. Residents, desperate to hold Jumma prayers, scrambled to create makeshift barriers with soil and gravel just to make a dry path to the mosque.
Pump operators say their hands are tied — without diesel, they can’t operate the backup systems. The same issue persisted during the last rainfall, when the lack of drainage led to heavy financial losses for shopkeepers and homeowners alike.
To top it all off, the top brass of HWSC seems to have vanished. The CEO has reportedly stopped attending the office altogether, while the board members and chairman — who were quick to approve appointments of six senior officers — have gone quiet amid mounting complaints from the public.
Despite the growing unrest, government officials and local political representatives have yet to step in, raising questions about the priorities of those in power.
