Hyderabad: Over 5 lakh yet to fix meter with Aadhaar link for free water

Over 5 lakh people across the city are yet to fix the water meter and Aadhaar linkage to avail the 20KL free water per month facilitated by the State government. As the implementation of the free water supply scheme is in force, the deadline for availing the same is August 15,2021. The city has a total 9,73,977 domestic water connections. So far 4,06,508 domestic consumers within the GHMC jurisdiction are availing the free water supply while 5,67,469 are yet to fix the water meter and Aadhaar linking to be eligible for the 20,000 litres free water per month.

Though the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has extended the deadline two times - from December 2020 to April 2021 and now the deadline is August 15, 2021 to facilitate the meter fixing and Aadhaar linking, still a large number of people have to apply for the water meter fixation and Aadhaar linking. To avail the free water the water board has made it mandatory that consumers should have a working meter to their connections and it should be linked to their Aadhaar numbers to the Consumer Account Number (CAN) of HMWSSB.

However, according to the water board officials, the free water scheme will be benefitting around 8,24,000 households in Greater Hyderabad provided every domestic consumer should have the water meter and Aadhaar linked to the connection.

In certain cases, few raised a concern that though they linked Aadhaar and have a meter, they have been issued bill without a rebate. The water board official clarified that in several instances it is observed that the meter is available but not functioning and hence benefit is not extended. Thus, citizens are requested to check the functioning of meters.

Further, the board said in the case of multi-storeyed apartment complexes and residential colonies, unless Aadhaar for all the units are linked, the full rebate is not extended. "In such cases rebate is extended only to the extent of the number of flats, units linked their Aadhaar against the CAN of apartment, complex, or colony. Thus, we encourage all flats or units to register for the scheme and link Aadhaar for availing the full benefit of the scheme," the water board official added.

However, consumers in slums were exempted from fixing meters.

The vigilance wing of HMWSSB is also registering cases against illegal water connections and till now the wing seized as many as 1,064 electric motors and registered 834 illegal cases in one and half years.

"Awareness campaigns were held in the city on illegal connections and we also asked residents to inform if they found any illegal water connections in their locality,'' said an official from the vigilance wing of HMWSSB.

Speaking to The Hans India, P Thirupathi, Vigilance officer of HMWSSB said, "Our team had regularised 21,000 illegal water connections under different schemes like Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) and seized 6,812 electric motors in the last three years."