Hyderabad Bulk Water Colonies Face Tanker Cost Burden

HYDERABAD: When the borewell at Nageswara Rao’s house in Alwyn Colony, Kukatpally, ran dry, he tried to book a water tanker. Officials asked for a CAN number, but the colony does not have an individual CAN number system. As a result, the tanker was booked under the commercial quota. Nageswara Rao paid ₹1,300 for a [...]<![CDATA[ HYDERABAD: When the borewell at Nageswara Rao’s house in Alwyn Colony, Kukatpally, ran dry, he tried to book a water tanker. Officials asked for a CAN number, but the colony does not have an individual CAN number system. As a result, the tanker was booked under the commercial quota. Nageswara Rao paid ₹1,300 for a 5,000-litre tanker and an additional ₹200 to the driver. Had he possessed an individual CAN number, the same tanker would have cost about ₹500. The issue arises because the water board supplies drinking water to the colony in bulk. The colony association distributes the water to individual households. Hundreds of Colonies Face Similar Situation This is not an isolated case. More than 800 colonies across Hyderabad receive bulk water supply and face similar problems. Residents say they are billed about ₹300 a month but receive water supply for only around 40 minutes. They complain that the quantity supplied is insufficient for daily needs. Bulk supply has also increased the burden on colony associations, which are responsible for distributing water among households. Associations Struggle With Dues and Maintenance Outstanding dues have mounted into crores of rupees, while interest liabilities running into lakhs of rupees are increasing every month. Colony associations say they are struggling to manage limited water supply and distribute it fairly among households. Although several associations have urged the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board to take over operations, the utility has not done so. Residents also...