HMWSSB not to penalise homes without RWH with double tanker charges for this season 

Hyderabad Water Board won't double tanker charges for homeowners without rainwater harvesting pits, aiming to promote conservation.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) for this season will not double the charges on water tankers for homeowners that do not have a rainwater harvesting pit, Board Managing Director K. Ashok Reddy told The Hindu in an interaction.

The decision was taken in view of the prevailing high demand for water tankers in the season combined with the drying up of groundwater resource at several places in the city.

“We don’t want to burden consumers during this important time. Water is a vital resource, and everyone needs to understand its value. Imposing double charges for not having a rainwater harvesting pit may come across as harsh, which is not the message we want to send,” Mr. Ashok Reddy said.

The Board had, in December 2024, proposeed doubling the charges for homeowners of plot area of 300 sq. metres and above, who are without an RWH pit, who are also some of the repeat consumers. The aim was to encourage the construction of RWHS pits to address water shortages and promote groundwater recharge.

Following a harsh summer last year, when sudden drying up of borewells in western parts of Hyderabad and logistical challenges in delivering water tankers, presented a situation of ‘water crisis’, the Board directed a field study. This survey involving officials and NGOs in water conservation, conducted between April and November, inspected over 40,200 houses in 22 divisions that fall in the bracket of ‘plot area of 300 sq. metres and above’.

The survey revealed that about 57% of houses had an RWH, and over 17,300 houses lacked one. The Board served notices and asked for compliance by the end of 2024, failing which they would be charged double for water tankers.

According to data on water tankers delivered in March, the divisions such as Durgamcheruvu, SR Nagar, Asifnagar, Sahebnagar, Kukatpally, Qutbullapur, and Hafeezpet, which have maximum connections without an RWH also bought the most water tankers.