There has been a sharp rise in cases of illegal water connections since summer began. As a result of the menace, officials from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) have intensified raids and filed criminal cases against offenders, despite the fact that it is rampant throughout the city, including in multi-story apartments.
The city’s water board conducted six raids (March and April) and booked 13 criminal cases against property owners involved in the crime in these two months alone.
GHMC officials reported that four criminal cases were registered with the Jeedimetla police station in Shapur Nagar within Qutubullapur GHMC limits.
“We estimate that more than 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the property owners in GHMC and its peripheral circles are involved. 1,756 criminal cases have been filed against those with illegal water connections in the last two years,” The Times of India quoted HMWS&SB chief vigilance officer M Ravi Chandan Reddy as saying.
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Additionally, charge sheets against offenders have been filed across all three commissions.
In spite of this, many property owners take the decision to turn to private plumbers or bribe water board workers to have illegal connections installed, said P Tirupathi, a station house officer for the water board.
He said he disconnected their supplies and warned them too, but it hasn’t completely eradicated the threat.
Previously, two people have been booked in a case by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) vigilance wing for having taken illegal connections from water board pipelines in Suraj Nagar Colony, Turkayamjal.
They were charged at the Adibatla Police Station.
The HMWS&SB stated in a press release that in cases of illegal water connections, people should report them to the vigilance unit of the Board at 9989998100 or 9989992268.
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