Date:31/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/31/stories/2008073160730400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Water board calls for public cooperation

Staff Reporter

– Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Airing views: A public suggestions meeting organised by HMWSSB in progress on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Consumer Relation Manager Cells and Any Time Payment Machines (ATP)—these are just a few of the measures to be initiated by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to better its revenue collection and improve customer satisfaction.

More than 100 people participated in a ‘Public suggestions meeting’ held by HMWSSB on Wednesday which was inaugurated by Koneru Ranga Rao, Minister, Municipal Administration and Urban Development. The Minister appealed for increased public participation and cooperation to the Board for better water supply.

G. Ashok Kumar, Managing Director, HMWSSB, said that the meeting was aimed at making public aware of the Board’s problems so as to collectively find a solution. He said that the average monthly demand for water amounted to around Rs. 28 crore whereas the average monthly collections were only Rs. 23 crore.

Pointing out that the Board spends a whopping Rs. 15 crore on electricity, he said that there was an urgent need to increase revenue. “We cannot invest in projects if we can’t raise the revenue,” he said. The most common excuse for defaulting bills was defective water meters, he said and added that there were over 5 lakh domestic connections of which only 1.5 lakh were metered and over 2 lakh declared defective or to be repaired by consumers.

Most participants complained of improper billing. The officials, who were bombarded with petitions, accepted the flaws in the Board’s functioning and promised to put the suggestions to use. “The Board will incorporate the suggestions in an action plan and implement them effectively,” said Ashok Kumar.