Hyderabad water board plans separate sewage tariff to cover rising maintenance costs
Hyderabad: The HMWS&SB is planning to introduce a separate tariff for sewage services to meet the growing operational and maintenance costs. In 2011, the sewage charges were fixed at 35 per cent of the water bill and has remained unchanged.
According to the board, its total monthly expenditure now stands at up to Rs 260 crore, with power charges alone reaching about Rs 160 crore. In comparison, the monthly revenue is about Rs 120 crore.
“The government is giving funds every year for creating infrastructure, but the biggest challenge is operation and maintenance. Day by day, the infrastructure is expanding but contribution from the public is required for the quality of services to improve," the board said.
The board receives frequent complaints from residents about drainage overflows. While these are usually cleared on request, officials admit that such measures are temporary fixes, the same issue often resurfaces.
“The real question we should be asking is not just why there is overflow, but how we can permanently solve it, for that better facilities and services are needed and that requires steady revenue,” said the officials.
Currently, residents who fall under the 20-kilolitre free water scheme pay no sewerage charges, since these are tied to the water bill. Under the new policy, sewage services will be billed separately for both residential and commercial units to ensure that operation and maintenance needs are met.
Board managing director K. Ashok Reddy noted that operation and maintenance costs for sewage systems had increased fivefold over the past decade from Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore annually. “We are constructing STPs, spending thousands of crores and it is now mandatory to treat all wastewater before discharge. Without public contribution, sustaining these services will not be possible,” he said.
