The Hindu Business Line : One lakh water meters in Hyderabad by fiscal-end

The Hyderabad Metro Water and Sewerage Board, has decided to install one lakh water meters by the end of the current financial year in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

So far, 30,000 meters have been fixed. The idea is to ensure monthly billing and proper assessment of water consumptions. Part of the billing process has also been outsourced to the private sector, according to Mr V. Jawahar Reddy, Managing Director of the Board.

The outsourcing model is not a move towards privatisation of the water board activities, but was meant to improve the efficiency of both the billing as well as overall utilisation of water in the city, he told a national conclave on `Water and Cities,' held here recently.

Interestingly, the Board wants to make the companies supplying the meters to set up their own service centres so that the maintenance and operation is smooth. It is estimated that in the city about 35-40 per cent is unaccounted water.

Having brought water from the river Krishna, from about 110 kms away at a huge cost, the Board has launched a pilot scale 24-hour water supply in select areas of the city.

The Board face a daunting challenge of bringing continuous water supply to Hyderabad, whose population has gone up considerably in the past two decades, while the water resources have depleted.

Speakers from Ramagundam, Andhra Pradesh; Nagpur in Maharashtra and Alandur in Tamil Nadu narrated success stories of implementing continuous water supply to the residents as well as efforts to improve sanitation and sewerage treatment.

The Conclave, organised by the Administrative Staff College of India, Foundation for Change Management and the USAID, saw an interface between experts in the water sector and media professionals. It was also represented by Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society representatives and had success stories.

More Stories on : Water | Andhra Pradesh

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