No move to merge Water Board with GHMC

HYDERABAD: The state government has no plans to merge the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.The Water Board which was enacted through HMWS&SB Act 1989 (15 of 1989) will continue to act as statutory authority to provide safe potable drinking water and maintain water supply and sewerage systems to the citizens of Greater Hyderabad city as well as collection and disposal of generated sewage.It was only the corporators and the GHMC standing committee which were insisting on the merger of the water board with the GHMC for various reasons. If the water board is brought under the purview of the Corporation, corporators can insist on taking up developmental works on nomination basis in their respective wards.Water board officials denied any move by the state government to merge it with the GHMC. In the last two years several meetings were held but the issue of merger did not arise, they said.  The merger issue also did not figure in any district review committee meetings, they said. Stating that major cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai have independent water boards, officials said the existing Acts have to be amended if they have to merge. The Assembly has to adopt a resolution and send to the President for approval.