Water thieves in upscale areas, finally elite booked

HYDERABAD: Cracking the whip on illegal water connections and non-payment of dues, the HMWS&SB launched a crackdown on defaulters in upscale areas like Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. Sleuths of the board’s vigilance wing registered FIRs against sons of Andhole MLA Babu Mohan (TRS) and late actor Madala Ranga Rao on Thursday for not paying dues and tapping water from the main pipeline without the permission of the water board.

“Based on the FIRs, police will file chargesheets against the defaulters. The imprisonment could be up to 5-6 years with a penalty,” warned HMWS&SB managing director M Dana Kishore.


Among those on whom FIRs were filed include Pavan Kumar Palli, son of Tollywood comedian Babu Mohan and Madala Ravi, son of Ranga Rao, who was the lead actor in revolutionary films.

Dana Kishore said the raids would be conducted across the city. The raids are conducted by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer. “The vigilance wing has the authority to visit defaulters’ premises and register the FIRs by taking the local police concerned into confidence,” he said. Pavan and Ravi were booked under Sections 269 and 430 of the IPC.

The board disconnected 69,500 connections in the city for not paying ₹6 crore dues. HMWS&SB director (revenue) B Vijay Kumar Reddy said they have come across several instances of consumers fixing connections with the help of private plumbers and tapping water from the board’s main pipeline. “Tapping water is a clear violation of HMWS&SB Act. We are initiating criminal action on the violators,” he cautioned.