HYDERABAD: Water board of Hyderabad was losing out on chunks of revenue due since it was still issuing bills based on the existing domestic category.
The water governing body has noted that though over 1.5 of the 9.56 lakh consumers had converted their properties into commercial category, they continued to use water connections under domestic category for the past 10 years.
A team of senior engineers from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and
Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) will handle conversion of domestic water
connections into commercial category.
Lack of staff and apathy of officials are the main reasons
being attributed for failure of conversion of water connections from domestic category
into commercial category. Though the water board had warned consumers several
times to make proper conversions, but received a lukewarm response from
consumers.
The issue comes to light whenever water board officials
raided at several places like S R Nagar, Jubilee Hills, Secunderabad, and other
places. The same issue came to light after HMWSSB’s vigilance wing conducted a
series of raids on illegal water connections for the past one year.
In the recent review meeting, vigilance sleuths also discussed the issue at length. A senior HMWSSB vigilance wing official admitted that the water board has taken a decision to convert domestic connections into commercial category by conducting raids with a special team of engineers. Initially, notices will be served to the property owners concerned for conversion and if ignored them, water connections would be disconnected.
Instructions have already been given to the concerned general managers of O&M divisions, he said.
Source: ET Realty