HYDERABAD: Faced with a multitude of problems, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) cries for immediate government attention. The problems are not just affecting the quantity and quality of drinking water supplied to the residents of Hyderabad, but also the revenue of the water board.The root of problems faced by the water board is the lack of sufficient and efficient distribution channels and safe storage networks, said Rameshwar Rao, former director (OM), HMWS&SB. Rao was speaking at the ‘Ideas conclave for better Hyderabad’ hosted by Awareness in Action, an NGO, in the city on Saturday.
Non-revenue water
The non-revenue water (NRW) - water consumed by illegal connections or connections without working meters - is another major problem plaguing the water board, Rao pointed. He said that of about 368 MGD of drinking water supplied by the water board every day, only 216.62 MGD is billed, which means about 40 per cent of water supplied by water board is unaccounted for. Rao pointed out that while Hyderabad has 602 MGD of drinking water resources, enough to serve the needs of the city’s population at least till 2024, it does not have proper distribution networks and storage reservoirs for ensuring 24-hours water for all.
Another major problem the Telangana government needs to focus on is that of the crumbling reservoirs. Rao said that many of the reservoirs are old and the structures have weakened, prominently due to chlorine in water. He also pointed out that as of now, strengthening of sewerage networks has been taken up only in two of the six zones in Hyderabad as per the city’s master plan.
Fast Facts
368 MGD drinking water supplied by the water board in Hyderabad every day
Only 216.62 MGD is billed
40 per cent of water supplied by the board is unaccounted for