Users don’t join plan, don’t pay water bills

HYDERABAD: The 200-kilolitre free drinking water scheme has landed the Metropolitan Water Supply Board in trouble. Board officials claim that it has been losing Rs 25 crore every month because of consumers who have not registered for the scheme.

Following the scheme’s implementation, the monthly revenue of the board has dropped by Rs 70 crore. It has to recover around Rs 220 crore from consumers who have not availed the scheme. On December 31 last year, board decided to waive water dues for 13 months from all domestic consumers, upon the state government’s directive.

This was also applicable for consumers whose occupancy certificate and second water connection was pending with the board. The waiver was only for those who consume 20,000 litres per month while those utilising excess water have to pay their bills.

Pending bills prior to December 2020 will be issued separately and without levying interest and penalty for arrears as on November 30, 2020. The Board informed that consumers, who have not registered for the scheme, would receive bills from January 2022, which they would have to pay. Officials informed that over 70 per cent consumers were availing the 20KL free water scheme, which left about 4.5 lakh consumer account numbers (CANs) being billed on a monthly basis.

Officials claimed these consumers were not paying for the water from January, and the unpaid money had reached Rs 200 crore. They said that even special drives conducted by the board did not compel them to pay.

A senior water board official, requesting anonymity, said that the HMWS&SB would intensify the drive. He said, to begin with, the board would only receive online payments as consumers had been ‘managing’ the ground staff with regard to clearance of pending bills.

“Once the board is ready it will first issue notices and create awareness about online payments before snapping water connection if consumers fail to clear their outstanding bills within the stipulated time,” the official added.