HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has started tightening screws to pump up its revenue. As a first move, it has cracked the whip on government departments which owe close to Rs 110 crore.

One of the notable defaulters is none other than the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) that has to pay nearly Rs 55 crore to the water board, while gram panchayats have to clear Rs 21.77 crore dues. Kukatpally municipal circle, Sanga Reddy and Sadisivapet municipalities have to pay Rs 20.31 crore, while CPDCL/APGENCO has to pay Rs 5.35 crore. Even the police department has run up Rs 4.51 crore arrears.

"The water board had earlier served notices on government departments to clear the arrears, but there was no response. As we are facing a financial crisis, we will have to make a serious effort to collect the arrears," HMWS&SB managing director M T Krishna Babu told TOI.

Keeping up the pressure, the water board had sent letters to principal secretaries of 25 departments a few weeks ago demanding immediate clearance of the dues. According to official records, various government departments have to pay Rs 109 crore to the water board, he added.

"We clearly mentioned in the letters about the water board's financial position. Despite the financial crunch, the Water Board is not holding back paying electricity bills. The government departments are saying that they are not in a position to clear the arrears because of fund crunch," he said.

"They are making part payments. Consequently, the dues are accumulating. They have to clear their dues as early as possible," the official replied.