HYDERABAD: Beer manufacturers, soft drink makers, and the airport are among the top consumers of water supplied by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, alongside defense organizations, and others.
The Military Engineering Services alone pays a Rs 4.2 crore bill, followed by Railways with Rs 3.7 crore. As the city grapples with summer water shortages, the data on top consumers becomes increasingly pertinent.
Mission Bhageeratha, Cantonment Board, MES, Ordnance Factory, South Central Railway, United Breweries LTD, Hyderabad International Airport, Nuclear Fuel Complex, Air Force Academy, Defence Metallurgical Research Lab, Police Department, Singapore Township, and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Limited stand among the top 13 consumers within the city and its outskirts.
Also among the payers are the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, HAL, CRPF, BHEL, Gandhi Hospital, Osmania University, and Dairy Development Corporation.
United Breweries, known for its beers, pays Rs 1.4 crore, while Coca-Cola pays Rs 1 crore. Several other beer companies also rank among the top consumers. Crown, SABMiller, United Breweries, and Carlsberg are the main breweries located near Sangareddy, 50km away from the state capital. They manufacture beer and supply it to the Telangana State Beverages Corporation, the official liquor distribution agency for licensed liquor outlets and bars in the state.
HMWSSB earns a total revenue of Rs 100 crore through water supply, with the majority coming from bulk consumers. Due to the free 20KL water supply for domestic purposes, HMWSSB offers a rebate of Rs 20 crore, which the government has to reimburse.
On any given day, the city receives an average of 530 mgd to 550 mgd of water supply.
Director revenue VL Praveen Kumar of HMWSSB stated, “Regarding beer companies, Manjeera water is supplied as they are located en route from Medak to Hyderabad. Mission Bhageeratha water is supplied to the surrounding villages.”
HMWSSB MD C Sudharshan Reddy remarked, “The city’s water resources are sufficient that we can supply until August. Bulk consumers are billed commercially. After assessing the situation, we may advise large consumers to be cautious in water usage.” He added, “Rainfall deficiency has caused a drop in the groundwater table, leading to increased demand for tankers. Currently, at least 30,000 consumers are requesting water tankers, up from 21,000 previously.”
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Read MoreSudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
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