Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation has directed officials to prepare for possible water scarcity by improving supply distribution, reducing wastage and expanding the use of treated sewage water for construction and green spaces. The measures were ordered amid concerns linked to El Niño conditions.
Municipal commissioner T. Vinay Krishna Reddy issued the directions during a coordination meeting with Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board officials at the corporation office in Tarnaka on Thursday. He asked officials to prepare plans to bridge potential supply gaps, improve water-use efficiency and identify alternative sources.
The directions cover water use across households, commercial establishments, construction sites, parks and other public and private areas. Officials have been asked to conduct extensive awareness programmes aimed at reducing wastage and encouraging more efficient use of available supplies.
The civic body also plans to reduce dependence on potable water in activities that do not require drinking-quality supplies. The commissioner asked officials to encourage construction firms to use treated water from sewage treatment plants wherever possible. The administration will also explore the use of treated sewage water for irrigating parks, green belts and other green spaces.
The move places water conservation within the responsibilities of several urban systems at once. Household consumption, commercial use, construction activity, sewage treatment and the maintenance of public greenery will all require coordination between the municipal corporation, HMWSSB, property users and contractors. The meeting did not specify the quantity of water expected to be saved or identify particular areas where supply gaps are anticipated.
For construction sites, the proposed shift towards treated sewage water could help reserve potable water for domestic needs, provided the required treatment and supply arrangements are available. The report also did not specify the number of treatment plants, the volume of treated water currently available to Malkajgiri or the compliance mechanism for encouraging private firms to use it.
The commissioner called for public participation to make conservation a mass movement, with the administration focusing on curbing wastage, reusing treated water and using available resources efficiently. The corporation’s immediate next steps are to prepare supply-gap and alternative-source plans, organise awareness programmes and examine treated-water use for construction and the upkeep of green spaces.
