Hyderabad, July 2: Flat owners of the city will now have to pay Rs 125 per month as water and sewerage cess. The Hyderabad Metropolitan water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to levy the cess from this month after a division bench of the High Court suspended the annulment of the relevant order by a single bench six months ago. However, flat owners said there was no justification in the Water Board move to collect Rs 125 as cess from each flat since the water connection was being given to the entire apartment. "We respect the court decision but will appeal at a higher court," said a member of the Federation of Associations of Colonies and Apartments. "How can they levy Rs 125 as cess without actually supplying the required quantity of water?" The Water Board Managing Director, Mr G. Asok Kumar, told this correspondent that the HC order would enable them to levy Rs 125 water-cum-sewerage cess taking a flat as a unit. "And we are going to do that," he said. Officials have taken steps to send bills to each flat and not to apartment complexes. The Water Board had started levying Rs 125, with Rs 90 as water bill and Rs 35 as sewerage cess, from January 1, 2007. Subsequently, several apartment welfare associations and the BJP MLA from Himayatnagar, Mr G. Kishen Reddy, had approached the HC against the move and the court struck down the relevant GO in January. While striking down the GO, Justice C.V.Nagarjuna Reddy held that the billing has to be based on the actual usage. He added that the Water Board cannot take flats as units as there is a single connection to the entire building or apartment. "The levy is legitimate in all respects and is also collected in Chennai and Bangalore," a senior official of the Water Board told this correspondent. He added that even a slum dweller of the city was paying Rs 90 as water charge per month and there was no justification in flat owners refusing to pay Rs 35 extra as sewerage cess. "Even electricity and telephone departments levy minimum bills irrespective of use," he said.