If all goes as per the ‘urgent’ demand of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the drinking water tariff in the city would go up by at least 10%.
If all goes as per the ‘urgent’ demand of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the drinking water tariff in the city would go up by at least 10%.
The board, which is facing financial constraints due to the increase in power tariff, is pushing hard for the hike in drinking water tariff.
“Increase in water tariff would be the main topic in the upcoming Board meeting of the BWSSB scheduled for the second or third week of May. The board has no option but to go for water tariff hike to keep the financial status of the Board in a good condition,” said a senior official of the BWSSB.
He added that the board has already submitted the proposal for the hike to the state government and after the board meeting, the board members would pressure the government to implement the same.
“If the state government says OK, the revised water tariff would come into effect by May- end,” he said.
As the Cauvery water needs to be pumped to the city from a distance of 100 km, the annual expenditure towards power bills in this regard was Rs300 crore earlier. “However, due to three-time increase of power tariff in recent years, the expenditure has gone up by Rs60 crore. We are helpless as the burden has to be passed on to consumers,” he said.
He added that the water board is incurring a cost of Rs33 to provide 1,000 litres of drinking water, while it is charging only Rs6 from consumers
BWSSB chief engineer T Venkataraju said the proposal to hike water tariff is pending with the state government and it would help the board a lot if the government approves it. “We have not hiked water tariff since 2002,” he said.
Officials in the BWSSB said the minimum water tariff is Rs45 for water consumption up to a maximum of 8,000 litres a month.
It can be recalled here that in March 2011, there was similar demand from the BWSSB to increase water tariff.
However, the state government had held back the hike, as it was beginning of the summer and the water supply to citizens itself was a problem.
Sources in the government said that with the monsoon approaching in a few weeks, there are chances the government may approve the water tariff hike.
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