Hyderabad residents can now report drinking-water wastage through the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s new PAANI app, with verified complaints eligible for incentives and offenders facing penalties of up to Rs 5,000.
The app was launched on Thursday as the city confronts growing concerns over water availability. It allows users to upload photographs of violations, including washing vehicles with potable water, overflowing storage tanks, leaking pipelines and unauthorised use of water connections.
According to water board officials, complaints submitted through PAANI will be routed to the concerned officials for verification and follow-up action. Consumers found guilty of wasting water will face penalties ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. The report did not specify the exact penalty applicable to each type of violation.
Complainants will receive incentives for every complaint that is verified. Residents interested in participating can register as water volunteers through the official HMWSSB website. The initiative is intended to create a neighbourhood-level reporting network involving citizens, government employees, young people, colony welfare associations and voluntary organisations.
Transport minister and Hyderabad in-charge Ponnam Prabhakar, who launched the app, said residents could use it to report drinking water being wasted or misused. He said officials would verify the complaints and take appropriate action, while volunteers contributing to water conservation would be recognised and encouraged.
Prabhakar said water conservation could not remain the sole responsibility of the government and described it as a social responsibility, particularly amid depleting groundwater reserves and the possibility of El Niño affecting water availability. He also urged households, hotels, hospitals, lodges and other commercial establishments to review their consumption.
The minister specifically cautioned against using drinking water for activities such as washing vehicles and cleaning floors when alternatives were available. The app therefore places citizen reporting alongside enforcement by the water board, making the verification process central to both penalties for violators and incentives for complainants.
The launch comes as Hyderabad’s water system faces pressure from household and commercial demand, groundwater depletion and concerns over seasonal availability. The HMWSSB’s next operational step will be to receive, verify and act on complaints submitted through PAANI, while residents can register as water volunteers through the board’s website.
