Many illegal water taps in Balamrai, Bowenpally

Hyderabad: Lack of pipeline networks in certain wards of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board is delaying new connections. Hundreds of residents of wards 7 and 8 had paid for new connections in May this year and sources said that providing tap water connections is taking more time than issuing building construction grants in the SCB. The Metro Water Board is willing to connect the main pipeline but unless the local network is in place it is of no use.

 

Ward 8 member J. Lokanadham said, “Over Rs 40 lakh have been collected from citizens towards connection fees – around Rs 85,000 per head for domestic use – from Ward 8. Yet no connection has been granted till date; at certain places the network is available, however, paperwork is pending. According to the records, over 1,500 connections are pending for the last five years.”

 

The areas that lack connections are Bolaram, Risala Bazaar, Lothkunta and Adarshnagar. Meanwhile connections are not being given to citizens who have been identified as having illegal connections. Out of 55,000 households, only 20,000 have legal connections. Seventy per cent of the connections from Balamrai to Bowenpally in SCB are illegal. 

 

Every year, the SCB pays the Water Board Rs 25 crore towards supply while the corporation gets only Rs 2-3 crore from water bills. Two years ago, the SCB owed Rs 55 crore to the Water Board.