2020, an eventful year for HMWSSB
Water board played crucial role during pandemic in providing safe water to residents
Hyderabad: Commencing free supply of 20,000 litres of drinking water per month to domestic consumers, quenching the thirst of over 180 villages within Outer Ring Road and gearing up for construction of Keshavapuram reservoir, 2020 has been an eventful year for Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
In tune with the efforts to ensure regular drinking water supply, HWMSSB is working on treatment of murky water and is setting up additional 17 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). Amidst all these activities, it has played a crucial role during Covid pandemic and during the recent floods in October by providing safe and potable drinking water to the residents.
On the revenue front too, the water board has earned Rs 280 crore through the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme offered to the consumers in 2020. With the city expanding in different zones and in parallel to the increasing demand for drinking water, HMWSSB is working on to ensure regular supply and is currently supplying 530 MGD through Singur, Manjeera, Himayathsagar, Osman Sagar, River Krishna and River Godavari.
More importantly, HMWSSB officials are assuring that there would be no interruption in drinking water supply in the ensuing summer season.
Keshavapuram reservoir
As per the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, efforts were on to commence the construction of Keshavapuram reservoir. Acquisition of 1,490 acres for construction of the reservoir is almost done and once the reservoir is constructed, there will be no drinking water crisis in Hyderabad till 2050.
Reviewing the project in the past, Municipal Administration and Urban Development KT Rama Rao had said the land acquisition for Keshavapuram reservoir was almost completed and Chief Minister would be laying foundation for the project shortly.
Reduction in power charges
HMWSSB will be now charged a uniform rate of Rs 3.95 per unit of power as against earlier charges that were as high as Rs 6.65 per unit of 11 KV power. The revised charges are expected to result in a monthly savings of nearly Rs 22.5 crore on power bills for the board.
This was after the MAUD Minister intervened and addressed the long-pending issue. Earlier, the HMWSSB was charged Rs 6.65 for 11 KV power, Rs 6.15 for 33 KV and Rs 5.65 per unit for 133 KV power. Now with the ERC implementing the orders, HMWSSB will be charged a uniform rate of Rs 3.95 per unit. This new tariff was being implemented with retrospective effect from April, 2018.
Ring Main project
To ensure an inter-connected water line grid around 158 km of Outer Ring Road (ORR) to ensure sufficient water supply to the city, this would aid in drawing sufficient water from River Godavari and supply the same to the city, in case water levels plummet in River Krishna. Under the project, Muthangi-Kokapet water lines and Ghanpur-Patancheru are already laid.
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