The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has decided to disconnect water connections to  government offices which owe huge amounts to it.

The water tariff dues from various government departments is between Rs 175 crore and Rs 180 crore and have been pending for clearance for the last few years. 

In view of the public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the High Court, the water board has decided to take action against  government departments which have defaulted on paying their dues for several months.  

As the next hearing on the PIL is slated for this week, board managing director J Shyamala Rao held a meeting a few days ago with officials and told the chief general managers and general managers (O&M) to issue final notices to the government departments setting May 29 as the deadline for clearance of arrears.

HMWS&SB officials told Express that if there is no response from the departments, the connections would be snapped immediately and a compliance report submitted.

After disconnection, action would be initiated against the defaulters under the Revenue Recovery (RR) Act.

Government hospitals, residential hostels, departments under MAUD like GHMC, HMDA and APCPDCL will be exempted and separate schedule will be issued shortly.

The managing director directed them to issue notices to all the rural water supply (RWS), gram panchayats, police, all government quarters and government schools. Rajiv Gruha Kalpa (RGKs) and houses built under JNNURM should also be disconnected if running bills were not paid.

The HMWS&SB is supplying about 15 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to gram panchayats and municipalities like Bhongiri, Vikarabad and Sadashivapet and RGK colonies but is not receiving proper payments from these departments.

The biggest defaulters are the panchayat raj and rural water supply departments which, together, owe Rs 130 crore to the water board. The other major dodgers are Secunderabad Cantonment Board (Rs 25 crore), medical & health department (Rs10 crore), zoo park (Rs1.25 crore). Besides, several government schools and colleges owe about Rs 5 crore. The IDPL, which has gone sick, owes nearly Rs 50 crore.

The defaulters who are paying current dues plus arrears and clear the outstanding arrears within three months will be exempted from penalty.