KTR to launch free drinking water scheme soon

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao is likely to formally launch the State government’s free drinking water supply programme in the city on Tuesday. 

All domestic slum consumers in the city will be issued a Zero Water Bill with effect from December 2020 under the 20,000 litres water supply scheme. Officials will not be insisting on fixing individual water meters. The domestic slum consumption will be assessed through slum docket water meters.

However, individual domestic consumers will have to bear the cost to get water meters installed to avail the 20 KL free water supply scheme. The consumption as per meter readings up to 20 KL per month for free and consumption above 20 KL will be charged as per applicable tariff with effect from December 2020. The list of empanelled agencies for installation of meters will be made available by HMWSSB.

Similarly, domestic apartments (multi-storied apartment complex) and domestic bulk consumers, will have to bear the cost to get meters installed. The



consumption as per meter readings up to 20 KL per flat or house per month will be free and consumption above 20 KL will be charged. HMWSSB will indicate the parameters required for the water meters facilitating the consumers to be at liberty to get same specifications installed at their cost.

As many as 9.84 lakh households would benefit from the scheme. HMWSSB spends about Rs 47 for supplying one kilolitre of water, and about 468 MGD is supplied to the entire city. Eligible beneficiaries will have to get their Aadhaar number linked with the Customer Account Number (CAN). This can be done through Mee-Seva centres or through HMWSSB’s website.

Customers will be given time up to March 31, 2021 to fix the meters through empanelled agencies to claim free water benefit from April 1, 2021. As the Aadhaar linking and installation of meters may take time, bills be issued from April 1, 2021 to eligible customers duly affecting free water supply benefit from December 1, 2020, a senior official from HMWSSB said.