HYDERABAD: In the light of shortage of drinking water supplies prevailing in the city, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has decided to curtail water tanker supplies to commercial establishments, with immediate effect.
According to instructions, a tanker with 20 kL (20,000 litre) capacity will not be allowed to make more than three trips per day, while a 10 kL capacity tanker (10,000 litre) will not make more than five trips per day.
Presently, these tankers are making 25 to 30 trips per day to supply water to commercial establishments. But domestic water supplies are a priority to Water Board, said the HMWS&SB Managing Director, M Dana Kishore. The decision has been taken by the HMWS&SB as part of addressing the drinking water shortage in the Greater Hyderabad region, he added.
The city’s water crisis seems to only get worse. When compared to last year, 1,800 to 2,000 water tanker trips were made per day last year. While 3,000 to 3,600 trips are being made to the citizens this year. The demand has increased by up to 60 per cent, said Kishore. As against the 55,135 tanker trips made in April last year, about 88,231 trips were made during April this year. Similarly, in May last year about 67,630 trips were made, whereas during till May 24 this year, 82,134 trips have already been made, he informed.
Meanwhile, the Board is also tying up loose ends in terms of its water usage.
At present, the potable water is being used by machines to attend to the sewage problems. Dana Kishore has directed the officials concerned to set up filling stations at all the Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) and use the treated water to fill up air tech machines used for cleaning the clogged and overflowing sewage.