Motor Free Tap day 2: HMWSSB seizes 32 motors, fines 38 users for illegally drawing water

Hyderabad: On day two of the ‘Motor Free Tap’ drive, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has identified as many as 134 illegal water motors and fined 38 consumers across the city for attaching motors to water pipelines, disrupting supply.

Of these, 32 motors were seized, and 38 users were fined for illegally drawing water and wasting it. Six water motors were seized in SR Nagar, and 20 persons were penalized.

HMWSSB managing director Ashok Reddy conducted house-to-house inspection in areas where low-pressure conditions were emerging, especially in SR Nagar and Madhura Nagar, where there are hostels and commercial complexes.

During his visit, some customers were caught illegally using water motors in their homes, and their water motors were seized, and penalties were imposed. Ashok Reddy expressed his anger at a hostel owner for pumping water with a 2 HP motor used for his plumbing business.

Ashok Reddy asked, "If you alone use enough water for ten houses, what will happen to the rest?" He warned the hostel owner that if he commits such a mistake again, a criminal case would be registered against him. Apart from that, he also ordered the authorities to stop the water supply to the hostel for a month and blacklist it from even booking a tanker.

When another building in the same area was caught using an agricultural motor, the Water Board MD instructed officials to disconnect the connection and also stop tanker supply for a month. He instructed officials to continue the drive for a week in SR Nagar to check the water supply every day and take steps to prevent the use of illegal water motors.

Ashok Reddy also made it clear that the drive would continue throughout the city for another 60 days, and if anyone is caught using illegal water motors, they would be seized, and if they are caught a second time, a fine of Rs. 5,000 would be imposed and cases would be registered against them. He warned all consumers not to install illegal water motors in pipelines.