Tired of defaulters not clearing their dues despite several warnings, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) decided to 'name and shame' people by pasting red notices outside their residences on Monday.
According to reports, a team of water board officials visited the residences in Kapra, Moula-Ali, Raghavendra Colony, Chilakanagar and Habsiguda in the city and pasted notices on their walls.
In the case of apartments, the notices were pasted on the pillars of the cellar, for the entire building to see.
"As many as 12 defaulters cleared their dues after we pasted the red notices on their walls," General Manager of O&M Division-XIV S Kiran Kumar told TOI, adding that dues worth Rs 1.35 lakh were paid up.
The HMWSSB also plans to take up the campaign on defaulting government offices.
In December, officials of the board took up the issue of bills that were unpaid for several years in some cases and stated that it would shut off sewer connections of households or commercial properties that did not clear its dues.
It was also reported earlier that 40% of water supplied to households, commercial establishments and small factories in Hyderabad were 'illegal'.
There are 9.2 lakh legal water connections, which paid for 60% of the water supplied by the board, while the rest were unregistered and illegal, Municipal Minister KT Rama Rao had said.
Consumer paid the arrears after #REDNOTICE has been issued by @hmwssbgmom14 pic.twitter.com/WO8e4kNv2G
— HMWSSB (@HMWSSBOnline) January 9, 2017
Sir pasted red notice on arrears of Rs 87000/ vide can no 617854015 moghal darbar hotel in deluxe colony tolichowki sub division 3 o&m dn 3 pic.twitter.com/Y13Iea5Zu7
— HMWSSB DGM SHAIKPET (@Hmwssbdgmshkpet) January 9, 2017
Red notice sticked to consumer premises of commercial defaulter having arrears Rs84,000 pic.twitter.com/oJHtUM0F2H
— HMWSSB DGM MARREDPLY (@HmwssbDgm) January 9, 2017