Bhayandar : Since 3 years people have been coughing up 8 per cent in the form of ‘Sewage Tax’ levied by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC). However, the facility still eludes the twin-city.
A contract worth Rs 491 crore was awarded to a private company in 2009 for laying a network of sewer lines in the twin-city under the JNNURM-sponsored underground drainage project with a 3-year timeframe. Under the garb of introducing mandated reforms, the MBMC started levying 8 per cent towards sewage facility tax since 2009. The project which has already missed its deadlines is still incomplete despite its spillover into 2015.
As per official statistics, the MBMC till now has collected around Rs 50 crore as sewage facility tax. Moreover, people living in the rural parts including Rai, Murdha, Morva, Pali, Chowk and Uttan villages (which have been excluded from the scheme) have also been dragged into the tax ambit.
“The tax has been introduced as per the JNNURM norms. The project is into its final stages and will be completed by March 2015, following which work to connect sewer lines with the main underground drainage pipelines will begin,” said civic chief Achyut Hange.
Designed on a completely decentralised system across 10 zones, the scope of the project includes underground sewerage facilities in a radius of 24 sq km area laying a network of 107 kms of sewer lines and commission of 10 pumping stations supported by an equal number of sewage treatment plants.
