Hyderabad: A bizarre decision, taken by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has angered residents of S R Nagar. In an unusual move HMWS&SB has blocked sewerage lines of over 767 customers for not paying water dues.
The defaulters are planning to hold a protest against the aberrant penalty, as their request to give some time to clear the dues fell on deaf ears. Some defaulters blame demonetisation for their non-payment of water dues.
Water Board officials on the other hand have to say that they have served ‘red notices’ on nearly 90000 defaulters, before blocking the sewerage lines of domestic and commercial customers. The dues for six months amount to nearly Rs 60 crore.
In their first attempt Water Board officials are serving notices to defaulters, after that they are disconnecting water connections, even then if a customer fails to pay up, officials are blocking the individual sewerage lines, which are connected to the water board’s main sewer line, by placing gunny bags.