The Hindu        03.11.2014  

Water tariff increased across the board

Think before you water your garden or wash your car with a hosepipe. Water has become dear after Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) increased the tariff across the board effective from Sunday.

For the first time, all components of water tariff have been linked to consumption levels, with an aim to incentivise conservation of water.

While average domestic consumers will have to put up with a 20 per cent hike in tariff, those who exceed the average consumption levels will now feel the pinch as the tariff hike for this section is around 67 per cent.

The BWSSB, which has hiked water tariff after nine years, said in a press release that the move was necessary to bridge the revenue-expenditure gap and losses accumulated over the years. The decision to hike water tariff was taken at the October 20 board meeting.

Of the three components of the water bill — water charges, service charges and sanitary charges — service charges were Rs. 20 across the board for domestic connections. Now, even this has been linked to water consumption and can go up to Rs. 150. Sanitary charges, which were earlier 15 per cent of the water charges, have been hiked to 25 per cent. The minimum water bill for a domestic connection has gone up to Rs. 100 from the earlier Rs. 83.

Apartment complexes and group housings in the city that have bulk water supply connections have to now cough up Rs. 22 a kilolitre (kl) of water against Rs. 19 a kl earlier. The tariff for bulk water supply to industrial areas, including Kempegowda International Airport, has been hiked by about 30 per cent.

Non-domestic

A steep tariff increase has also been effected for non-domestic commercial connections. The minimum bill for a non-domestic connection has been hiked from Rs. 360 to Rs. 500.

The BWSSB has altered the consumption slabs based on which it bills consumption for non-domestic connections. It has brought down the slab for consumption for maximum tariff from 100 kl to 75 kl. Tariff has been increased around 30 to 40 per cent across all consumption slabs.