The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has fined a firm operating from Jubilee Hills Rs 20,000 for using drinking water to clean floors and temporarily disconnected the premises’ sewerage connection, as the city water utility steps up enforcement ahead of possible summer supply challenges.
The action was taken at premises used by Akshayakalpa Farms and Foods Private Limited, according to an HMWSSB press release. Officials said the water connection at the property was registered in the name of Mahammad Zarina Begum.
The board said its officials detected the use of potable water for floor cleaning during an inspection. Along with imposing the penalty, HMWSSB temporarily disconnected the sewerage connection at the premises. The utility did not provide further details in the release on the duration of the disconnection or the procedure for restoration.
HMWSSB has intensified inspections across Hyderabad to prevent the wastage and misuse of drinking water amid possible supply challenges during the coming summer. The board has advised residents and establishments to reserve potable water for essential uses such as drinking and cooking.
The water utility said drinking water should not be used for cleaning floors or vehicles, gardening or construction work. It urged residents and commercial establishments to use treated water from sewage treatment plants for these purposes wherever possible.
The enforcement action highlights the distinction between potable water supplied through the city network and treated water that can be used for non-potable activities. In urban water systems, using treated wastewater for cleaning, landscaping and construction can reduce pressure on drinking-water supplies, although the HMWSSB release did not specify the availability or supply arrangements for treated water at the Jubilee Hills premises.
The board said inspections would continue across Hyderabad and warned that action would be taken against violators. Residents can report water wastage or misuse by sending location details, photographs or videos to the HMWSSB WhatsApp number 99499 30003.
The latest action comes as the utility prepares for increased scrutiny of water use before summer. HMWSSB has asked residents to conserve potable water and report violations while its citywide inspection drive continues.
