Mumbai: BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has approved a hike of 7.12% in water tax. The civic body gets water from Tulsi, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Vihar, Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar and Bhatsa lakes and provides 3,850 million litres every day to the city.
To maintain and repair the lakes and pipelines, it spends a humongous amount of money. It also spends thousands of crores to lay new pipelines. There are also establishment charges, administrative expenses and electricity charges to be paid.
Every year, water charges increase in June, but for the last two years the hike was deferred owing to Covid-19. Political parties then had opposed the hike, saying people suffered financial losses during the pandemic. In 2012, the BMC Standing Committee had allowed a hike of 8% like every year.
Water connection in adivasi padas and slums, gaothan and koliwadas, residents of chawls with common toilets, public sanitary convenience, buildings of non-government organisations and PAP (project affected persons) and SRA buildings where auxiliary suction tanks and pumping arrangements are self-maintained will pay Rs4.76 per 1,000 litres. Earlier, they used to pay Rs 4.44 per 1,000 litres
Similarly, where suction tanks and pumps are maintained by the BMC, citizens will pay Rs 5.28 per 1,000 litres as against Rs 4.93 earlier. Other residential societies used to pay Rs 5.94 per 1,000 litres but will now pay Rs 6.36 per 1,000 litres.
