The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) are currently facing severe water crisis and poor revenue collections; the board has presently decided to file cases against the commercial establishments that have domestic water supply connections.
Cases will be filed under sections 269 and 430 of the Indian Penal Code and the offenders are liable to be punished with six months to five years in jail and heavy penalties will be imposed. The Chief Vigilance Officer has registered 26 FIRs against the customers for not converting water connections from domestic to commercial and also for having illegal connections.
The Water Board has decided on this move after realizing that it is losing crores of rupees even as it supplies water to nearly 8.7 Lakhs customers in the city and in 11 GHMC peripheral circles. The board says that there are 2.5 Lakhs illegal water connections, as the customers convert their premises from domestic to commercial and they do not make the change in water connections.
A source from MHWS & SB had sensed the danger and around 2,100 customers have made a visit to the board offices and have converted their connections into commercial category. A chance will be given by the Water Board to the customers to voluntarily regularize their illegal water connections by paying a onetime penalty and if the customers do not respond, the vigilance team will register cases.
