Hyderabad: Less than 10% of water consumers took advantage of the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme to get a rebate on their water bill dues.
Only 70,000 out of 7.1 lakh eligible consumers across the city utilised the scheme.
By Oct 31, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) collected 49 crore of the 1,792 crore owed, prompting an extension of the OTS scheme deadline to Nov 30.
The OTS scheme, launched to recover outstanding water bills, allows consumers to settle overdue payments without late fees or interest charges. Initially running from Oct 1 to 31, the scheme coincided with the Dasara and Diwali festivals, and some residents traveling to their hometowns missed the deadline.
The water board has also set specific waiver limits: Managers can waive up to 2,000, deputy general managers from 2,001 to 10,000, general managers from 10,001 to 1 lakh, and chief general managers can approve amounts above 1 lakh.
Payment options include MeeSeva, AP online centres, PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, and the HMWSSB official website, where consumers can also access their dues and discounts by scanning a QR code.
"Consumers must provide an undertaking letter to pay bills regularly over the next 24 months; otherwise, scheme benefits will be revoked. Those with disconnected connections must clear all dues to avail the benefits of the OTS scheme," said water board managing director Ashok Reddy.
For inquiries, consumers can reach HMWSSB customer care at 155313.