Over 17000 apartments and houses on Water Board's radar

* Strict enforcement: Nearly 17 k homes & apartments above 358 sq. yards must install RWH pits or face double tanker charges

* Legal backing: WALTA Act & G.O Ms 350 mandate rainwater harvesting for larger properties

* Public benefit: Move aims to boost groundwater levels, reducing summer water shortages

*Expert support: HMWSSB’s dedicated RWH division offers technical guidance for compliance

mahesh avadhutha I hyderabad

The HMWSSB (Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board) is planning to take action against nearly 17,000 apartments and houses that do not have Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) facility. It applies to those constructions that are built in an area of 358 sq.yards and above but don't RWH pits  in their premises.

The board has served notices to all these properties, who do have a drinking water connection with a dedicated CAN (Customer Account Number) from last July onwards advising them to take measures to have a RWH structure failing which they will be charged double for water tanker requests henceforth.

As per, G.O Ms 350 issued in June 2000 in the combined state it was mentioned that all buildings in municipal corporations and municipalities built in plots measuring 300 sq.metres and above should have RWH structure compulsorily. The Rule 17 (1) & (2) of WALTA Act also mentions the presence of a RWH structure at all times.

In view of growing population, ever increasing water demand and water woes during summer, the metropolitan water board decided to strictly implement these rules which indirectly would increase the ground water table in those localities benefitting the residents at large.

As per survey, it was found over 40,000 properties (apartments and independent houses) with water board connections were existing in an extent of 358 sq.yards and above. Of them 23,000 properties had water harvesting facilities already, especially the ones in gated communities and large residential colonies. The rest 17,000 were not having the RWH pits and further more they were dependent on water tankers from the metropolitan board to meet their needs especially in the summer season.

To sensitize and enlighten them, HMWSSB served notices to them to act in time and build the harvesting pits and also injection bores if needed to restore the water table underneath in their premises. Accordingly, over 100 properties have built these pits with technical guidance from the water board, which also has set up a RWH division with a Ground Water expert specifically to assist citizens coming forward to build RWH structures.

Manju P, whose family owns an independent house in Jubilee Hills that was built 25 years ago took the technical help from the water board and built a RWH pit a few weeks ago after receiving the notices.

We will act soon: HMWSSB MD

HMWSSB MD K Ashok Reddy told this paper that this issue was discussed in the Board meeting and it was decided to act on the notices served only with the objective that public realise the importance of having harvesting pits in their premises. We are awaiting the board minutes before implementing the decision. Senior officials said that the move to charge double the tariff was only aimed to benefit the public as presence of harvesting pits is bound to increase the ground water table in all corners of the twin cities.

Further there would be no technical issues to implement this decision. However, once a property complies with the decision and gets equipped with RWH pit, the same would be geo-tagged and updated in the CAN details thus ensuring the said property will not be charged double tariff for water tanker services going forward.