Temporary relief to SCB’s water woes

The SCB authorities clarified that the waiver or discounts is not for residents. They authorities while thanking the Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao for ensuring a 2/3 waiver for SCB, given the precarious financial situation, has, however, informed the residents that they had to pay their dues without any discounts well before the deadline.

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) is finally heaving a sigh of relief after Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister KT Rama Rao announced a waiver of Rs 15 crore water bills to be paid by the department to Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

The SCB paid Rs 8 crore out of the pending Rs 23 crore earlier this week and with KTR’s announcement, the SCB does not have to pay dues to the Water Board anymore. However, the SCB still has to pay over Rs 25 crore towards connection charges.

The issue of SCB being treated as a bulk consumer is yet to be resolved. While the Water Board supplies water to GHMC at Rs 10 per kilolitre, it charges Rs 13.50 per kilolitre from SCB. Officials at the Secunderabad Cantonment say that there are more than 450 colonies and close to 30 bastis. P Srinivasan, a retired railway employee and resident of Ishaq Colony says, “People residing in the cantonment are a part of the city. The Water Board needs to levy same charges.”

An official of SCB, on condition of anonymity, said that the Water Board levies sewerage cess too. It may be mentioned here that in 2004, the SCB considered entering into an agreement with the Water Board to take over maintenance and supply in the Cantonment but, nothing came out of it.

The SCB requires upto 52 lakh gallons per day and the monthly bills are between Rs 90 lakh to Rs 1.10 crore. There are 35,000 water connections and according to estimates about 10,000 illegal ones. Revenue collection is about Rs 75 lakh per month.

K P Raghavan, a resident of Teachers Colony says the waiver is only a temporary relief. Unless the Water Board does not change the tariff and brings it to the same rate as that of GHMC, the SCB will again go into debt.”

Issues to be sorted

• The SCB officials are hopeful that the State Government would impress upon the Water Board to bring supply tariff levied to them on par with GHMC. Presently, water supply to GHMC is at Rs 10 per kilolitre and while the rate is Rs 13.50 per kilolitre for SCB.
• The SCB has to pay above Rs 25 crore towards connection charges towards released water at Hasmathpet tapping point, Gunrock village pump house and Kharkhana mega reservoir.
• Illegal water connections in the cantonment are close to 10,000 that need to be regularised and the Rs 15 crore waivers by the MAUD minister come with a rider that streamlines supply and billing system
• The Water Board also levies additional pumping charges at Rs 2.50 per kilo litre in addition to monthly water cess.