‘Set an example’: Employees asked to switch off ACs after 5 PM; here's why Hyderabad water board offices have new rules

Hyderabad’s water board has ordered offices to cut water and electricity use by at least 20%. Air conditioners must be set to 25°C and switched off after 5 PM. Check other directives. 

Air conditioners must be switched off after 5 PM in Hyderabad water board offices. The instruction forms part of a drive to reduce water and electricity use. Every office must cut consumption by at least 20% compared with its previous usage.

Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Managing Director K. Ashok Reddy issued the directions. According to him, conservation must start within the organisation before officials ask citizens to save water. The aim is to make office practices reflect the advice given to residents.

“Change must begin with us, and we must set an example for everyone. Before telling people to use water sparingly, we must practise it ourselves,” the Hyderabad Mail quoted Ashok Reddy as saying.

“We cannot change society without changing ourselves, and we cannot tell others what we do not practise ourselves. Therefore, the change in conserving water and electricity must begin in our own offices,” Reddy added.

Expected El Niño conditions in the coming period are behind the emphasis on saving water. Reddy stressed the need to protect water resources and build a public conservation movement. He wants the board’s offices to lead by example.

Under the instructions, all office ACs must be set at 25°C. Their use must stop after 5 PM. Exceptions are allowed only for essential maintenance work, with special approval from senior officials. The restriction therefore forms part of the board’s effort to prevent unnecessary power use.

Offices must also collect water discharged by ACs instead of letting it go to waste. This water should be reused for gardening, cleaning, and other activities that do not require drinking water. The measure brings water reuse into the same conservation effort as electricity savings.

Officials must check buildings, toilets, pipelines, taps and storage tanks for leaks. Any leaks found must be repaired immediately. Officers responsible for these areas must monitor them closely to prevent wastage, the Hyderabad Mail reported.

The electricity instructions extend beyond air conditioners. Lights, fans, computers and other equipment must be switched off whenever unnecessary.

Particular attention must be paid to power wastage after office hours. Reddy said every employee should treat electricity conservation as a personal responsibility.

Each office must regularly review its water and electricity consumption. Officials must compare current figures with earlier usage and work towards the minimum 20% reduction. Heads of offices will be responsible for implementing these instructions.

‘Healthy competition’

Reddy warned that negligence in preventing wastage would be viewed seriously. He said there would be no tolerance for lax implementation. Conservation, he stressed, should show in everyday functioning rather than remain a publicity exercise.

He urged employees across departments to work together and turn small savings into daily habits. Such habits could bring significant reductions in consumption, he said.

The board will also recognise offices that implement the measures and meet the savings target. Officers and employees performing well will receive appreciation certificates every month. Reddy called for healthy competition, encouraging each office to serve as an example for others.

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