HMWSSB Drive Targets Illegal Water Connections
- HMWSSB survey teams check sewer links, billing and usage data
- Illegal water connections and domestic to commercial misuse under focus
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has started a 100 day special Door to Door Can Survey across its full limits. The HMWSSB drive aims to identify illegal water and sewer connections, verify categories, improve billing systems and increase transparency in water usage. Trained field teams will visit every home to check if sewer connections are authorised or unauthorised and whether they are listed as domestic or commercial.
Officials said the teams will verify sewer pipeline size, number of links, meter details and the nature of usage. They will record the data through a dedicated mobile application. This allows real time monitoring and better record keeping. The survey will also focus on buildings that hold domestic connections but run commercial activity. These cases will shift into the commercial category. Billing will change from the date of misuse.
Officials added that where illegal sewer connections are found, notices will follow and regularisation will take place with a minimum penalty equal to three years of charges. The Water Board has told every section to achieve full coverage within the 100 day period. Section managers will be responsible for daily progress. Survey teams will collect consumer numbers, meter status, house area, number of floors and the type of connection. If they find violations, officials will take immediate steps for regularisation, meter installation and category correction.
To avoid manipulation of data, the Vigilance Wing will conduct a sample re survey after the main task ends. Any mismatch will lead to strict departmental action. The Water Board now services about 14.36 lakh sewer connections. Around 85 per cent are domestic and the rest fall under commercial, industrial and other categories. Every month, 10,000 to 15,000 new connections are sanctioned, while commercial sewer links remain near 54,000. Officials said the drive began after repeated complaints about misuse, tampering and unauthorised sharing of sewer connections. They expect the survey to expose irregularities and strengthen the city’s sewer management system.
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