HMWS&SB To Launch Special Drive Against Water Wastage; Citizen Volunteers To Report Misuse Via ‘Paani’ App

Hyderabad: The HMWS&SB has scheduled a special drive from Sunday to check the misuse of drinking water in view of the increased demand during the summer. Board managing director K. Ashok Reddy said the city would not face a drinking water crisis this summer but urged every household to save water. There is adequate water in all the reservoirs except at Singur where repair works are underway.

The board is supplying 570 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water, drawn from projects on the Krishna, Godavari and Manjira and the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs. Supply of another 30 MGD has been halted due to pipeline works.

The board said it would penalise people found washing vehicles or cleaning floors with potable drinking water or if sumps overflow. Water supply would be disconnected for repeat offenders.

To strengthen its effort, the water board proposed to use citizens as volunteers to report water wastage. They have been invited to upload evidence of water wastage on the ‘Paani’ app and there is a plan to give them incentives.

At a press conference on Saturday, Ashok Reddy said tankers were in high demand, up to 80 per cent of the total, in Hafeezpet, Kukatpally, Kondapur, Durgam Cheruvu, Manikonda, Doyen's Colony at Serilingampally , SR Nagar and Banjara Hills due to the presence of high-rise buildings, hostels, residential colonies, villas, hostels and commercial establishments. He said a survey by the board had revealed that 48,000 consumers from these areas were the highest users of tanker services.

The HMWS&SB also plans to establish a ‘treated water bank’ supplying treated water through dedicated red colour tankers.

Meanwhile, board vigilance officials seized 12 electric motors in Shivnagar Colony, Upparpally, being used to draw water illegally from pipelines. Officials said violators would be fined `5,000 for a second offence and cases booked.