The Hindu 05.02.2010
Water meters to be tamper proof
Special Correspondent
Hyderabad: Now it will be next to impossible to tamper with the water meters. Neither the consumers nor the meter readers can resort to mischief. This follows the decision of Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to install high-end Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) water meters in the twin cities.
To start with 22,000 connections of three-fourth inches will get the new meters. Top officials of the Board, including Managing Director M.T. Krishna Babu, visited Mumbai recently to study the functioning of the RFID meters there. They are satisfied with the working of the meters and plan to introduce them back home.
The biggest advantage with these state-of-the-art meters is that they are tamper proof and give accurate data. They enable remote monitoring of consumption, water flow and billing pattern. The best part is one need not have to visit the place where the meter is installed to record the reading. Just driving with a hand held device at a slow speed will help update the reading in the receiver which is linked to a server.
“The new meters will reduce billing disputes and record correct reading. We can also check up daily and even hourly consumption,” said Mr. Krishna Babu.
