Hyderabad, June 1 -- The city hit an all-time high of 15,200 water tanker bookings in a single day on May 30, surpassing the previous record of 12,000, as the city's water crisis deepened through an unusually prolonged summer season.

The HMWSSB has been supplying around 12,000 tankers a day, creating a gap between demand and actual availability. Despite the board expanding its tanker fleet to 1,250 and increasing the number of filling stations, demand has continued to outstrip supply.

Demand outpaces supply

The surge has been driven by an intense summer, delayed pre-monsoon showers, and rapid concretisation, particularly in the IT and western corridors. In May alone, Hyderabad logged 3.36 lakh tanker bookings, while groundwater levels ...