Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

HMWSSB trying to reduce power bill, says MD

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is planning to forge equity partnership with some gas-based power company in order to reduce its mounting power bill.

This is among the several options the board is contemplating to bridge the gap between its revenue and expenditure.

Board managing director G. Asok Kumar told presspersons here on Thursday that the power bill on the Krishna water project alone came to Rs. 13 crore per month.

Efforts to get a concessional power tariff had not yielded results and the government had referred the matter to the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The possibility of establishing power saving devices in the pumping stations, increasing the efficiency of pumps and raising the revenue collection were also being explored, Mr. Asok Kumar said.

He said Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will formally commission the Phase II of the Krishna Drinking Water Project on Saturday by releasing water at Sahebnagar reservoir, 30 km from the city.

Union Minister for Rural and Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy will also grace the occasion, the MD said.

The city was already drawing 67 mgd of the 90 mgd planned from the phase II. With the completion of the Ring Main II works in next two months, the Krishna water coming now up to Tarnaka would be extended to Marredpally, Alwal and surrounding areas.

The South Central Railways had given permission for undertaking tunnelling work at Rail Nilayam.

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