HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) fined a Jubilee Hills resident for using drinking water for non-essential purposes.
The Water Board reiterated that drinking water should not be wasted on activities like vehicle washing, gardening, construction, decorative fountains and road cleaning, especially amid rising temperatures and depleting groundwater levels. On Wednesday, HMWSSB imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on a person found washing his bike with drinking water.
Water Board Managing Director K Ashok Reddy, while travelling from Punjagutta to Jubilee Hills, Road No. 78, noticed a water leakage and directed O&M Division, VI, General Manager, Harishankar to investigate. Upon inspection, officials discovered the resident misusing potable water and reported it to the MD.
Expressing his displeasure, Ashok Reddy stressed that drinking water must be strictly used for domestic purposes. He instructed officials to issue a notice and impose a fine, warning that further violations would lead to strict action.
The HMWSSB is incurring huge expenses and supplies water from distant places such as Krishna Drinking Water Supply Project (KDWSP) and Godavari Drinking Water Supply Scheme project (GDWSP). With Hyderabad’s groundwater levels depleting and water tanker demand rising, the board has urged residents to conserve water.
Currently, HMWSSB supplies 550 million gallons of water per Day (MGD) to 13.70 lakh water connections under Greater Hyderabad and Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits, spending Rs 48 per kilolitre of water.