HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has fixed targets to improve its Service Level Benchmark (SLB) in terms of coverage of water supply connections, extent of metering of water connections, efficiency of sewage network’s collection, adequacy of sewage treatment capacity, and extent of reuse and recycling of sewage, among others. This after the GHMC has fared poorly against the benchmarks set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The targets for SLB for the year 2019-20 are particularly for four urban services -- water supply, sewerage works, storm water drainage, solid waste management and coverage of water supply for public community toilets. The targets are required to be achieved by fiscal year 2019-20 in GHMC area and have been prepared by the concerned wings of GHMC as required to fulfill the conditional ties under 14th Finance Commission. The GHMC Standing Committee has approved the SLB targets submitted by the concerned wings which will be published in the District Gazette as well.
The Supply Water Services comprise nine indicators, including coverage of water supply connections in 95 per cent areas as against the 100 per cent benchmark set by MoHUA, per capita supply of 135 litres of water daily (LPCD), extent of metering of water connections target has been set at 40 per cent as against the 100 per cent MoHUA target. It also mentions providing a continuous water supply for 1.5 hours (every 24 hours), increasing the extent of reusing and recycling of sewage as five per cent as against 20 per cent set by MoHUA. The indicators also cover collection efficiency of the sewage network proposed to be 80 per cent as against MoHUA benchmark of 100 per cent, and adequacy of sewage treatment capacity at 70 per cent against 100 per cent benchmark.
Under coverage of storm water drainage network proposed is just 50 percent as against 100 percent MoHUA benchmark, according to GHMC officials.