HYDERABAD: As many as 23,892 water customers who have been drawing water as domestic consumer would be converted into commercial category by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) soon.
The HMWS&SB has found that these customers are drawing water for commercial use based on data provided by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and department of commercial taxes.
A few days ago, senior officials of water board held a meeting to discuss the method and procedures for category conversion.
The deputy general managers (DGMs) of respective divisions would download the commercial taxes data and revenue billing data and filter them division-wise for appropriate action on category conversion.
HMWS&SB officials told Express that around 23,892 Customer Account Numbers (CANs) are matching with GHMC commercial house numbers and these connections needs to be converted to commercial category from existing domestic category.
The tariff for commercial tap connection is more than double when compared to that of domestic category. HMWS&SB had earlier introduced exclusive tariff slabs for commercial connections.
The misuse of domestic water connections has been causing huge revenue loss to the water board for the last few years. If 23,892 customers are converted to commercial category there would substantial improvement in revenue collections to the board.
The DGMs were directed that the details of conversions to be effected with the matched CANs can be downloaded by clicking at the number against the division mentioned in circulars published in board website. The general managers of O&M were directed to identify and effect the category changes as per the ground reality in RBS to improve the water board’s revenue.
Since there is a differential rate for domestic and non-domestic customers in the tariff, efforts should be made to identify commercial establishments, multi-storeyed commercial buildings like hotels, restaurants, bar and restaurants, bakeries, eatery houses, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, cinema halls, multiplexes, beauty saloons, hostels, function halls and office complexes where commercial activities are involved.
HMWS&SB has also directed genaral managers and deputy general managers to give top priority to conversion of commercial customers and to identify such establishments.
In some of the main roads where commercial activity has been detected, all the connection would be changed to commercial category, the officials of the water board added.
Flouting the rules
Division-wise figures regarding commercial use of domestic water connection:
Division-1 (571), Division-2 (482), Division-3 (701), Division-4 (1,830), Division-5 (1,633), Division-6 (594), Division-7 (1,653), Division-9 (3,354), Division-10 (3,174), Division-11 (20), Division-12 (1,110), Division-13 (2,143), Division-14 (3,043), Division-15 (2,098), Division-16 (1,492) and Division-99 (12).