Nag Ashwin shines spotlight on Telangana's sinking water table

When filmmaker Nag Ashwin shared a recent map of Hyderabad’s groundwater levels, fans were quick to notice his serious tone. The director of the upcoming Kalki 2 reposted a screenshot from a newspaper showing pockets of Serilingampally, Malkajgiri, and nearby mandals dipping into the red zone for water extraction during April 2025.

The map, prepared by the Telangana State Ground Water Department, uses deep red to mark areas where the water table has fallen more than 20 metres below ground level. These zones include Serilingampally, Hayatnagar, Abdullapurmet, Saroornagar, Kukatpally, Bachupally, and Dundigal. A lighter palette shows the surrounding areas still above the critical mark.

On his social feed, Nag Ashwin urged followers to treat groundwater like a shared asset. He wrote that urban growth and unplanned extraction risk our long‑term water security. By amplifying this ordinary café‑style post-complete with its café vibe map-he turned a regional report into a wider conversation about sustainable development.

Nag Ashwin’s intervention reminds us that filmmakers can do more than tell stories on screen. By drawing attention to Telangana’s ground water crisis, he invites viewers to ask what they can do off-screen to protect one of our most vital resources.