Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, KT Rama Rao,said that the Free Drinking Water Supply Scheme is going to formally launched in the first week of January in Hyderabad.
He further added that according to the orders of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, no charges would be collected from the December bills of domestic consumers for the consumption of up to 20,000 liters. He said that this scheme would benefit as many as 9.84 lakh households.
During the GHMC polls, KCR declared that every household in the city would be supplied with 20,000 liters of drinking water, free of charge. Following this, the MA&UD Minister, KTR convened a meeting with the officials of Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) on Saturday. Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar was in attendance, too.
Instructions to chalk out strategies, modalities and arrangements for the implementation of the scheme have been given to HMWSSB officials. The Minister will hold another meeting in a few days after the modalities have been worked out.
HMWSSB spends approximately Rs 47 on the supply of one kilolitre of water and approximately 468 MGD on the supply of water to the entire city. KTR told to officials that, “Consumers should be made aware of the free supply of drinking water programme.”
According to the state government orders, the eligible beneficiaries have to provide Aadhar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.
The minister also reviewed the water supply in the city during the meeting. The supply has improved and increased over the last couple of years, officials said. The HMWSSB has also expanded production capacity annually, in line with growing demand.