Visakhapatnam water crisis: Apartment dwellers pay up to ₹7,000 for a tanker as supply falls short

Visakhapatnam is facing a severe water shortage, with apartment residents across the city facing empty taps and a growing dependence on private water tankers. Municipal water supply has fallen short in several neighbourhoods, particularly affecting high-rise and multi-storey residential complexes that struggle to store adequate water. As the shortage deepens, private tanker operators are charging between ₹5,000 and ₹7,000 for a 20-kilolitre delivery, a rate that has become a heavy financial burden for many households.

Residents say the high price is unavoidable because waiting for municipal supply is no longer reliable. Taps have remained dry for extended periods in several parts of the city, and overhead tanks are often empty. The crisis has been worsened by an acute scarcity at designated municipal and private water-filling stations, leaving tanker operators struggling to source water. Some trucks wait for hours at the few stations that still have supply, adding to their operational costs.

The situation has also led to a dispute between private water suppliers and enforcement agencies. Tanker operators claim that traffic police are intercepting vehicles across the city and booking cases, while revenue officials are seizing tankers and water-filling stations on the ground that groundwater levels have been severely depleted. Suppliers argue that water is an essential emergency commodity and question how authorities can penalise them while citizens are struggling to meet their basic needs. They also say that the enforcement, instead of easing the crisis, is pushing prices further up.

Police, however, present a different view. They say that the heavy water tankers violate traffic safety rules, with poorly maintained tyres and reckless movement posing a threat to other road users. Citing a fatal accident on Thursday at Naidu Thota, where a woman died under the wheels of a water tanker, the police maintain that their checks are meant to prevent such tragedies.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has intervened on the issue of pricing. Superintending Engineer (Water Supply) G.V. Pallam Raju said the civic body is taking all possible measures to regulate private operators and stop price escalation. “The commissioner is very strict on this implementation. The public can approach them for any issues,” he told The Hindu. The GVMC, however, did not provide immediate details of any new supply or pricing mechanism.

Urban planners say the unfolding crisis is a reminder of the fragility of the city’s water infrastructure. They point out that the growing number of residential complexes has increased demand, but supply and distribution networks have not kept pace. Without stabilising alternative channels — whether through improved municipal supply, regulation of private tankers, or investment in rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge — the city could face repeated crises of this nature.

For now, residents are rationing every drop. Many have cut down on bathing and washing clothes, while others are spending substantial amounts on private deliveries. The immediate need, civic experts say, is to ensure a fair price for water and a reliable supply. The longer-term challenge lies in building a sustainable water system for Visakhapatnam’s future.