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MM: Pay more if you use more water: September 17, 2010

Pay more if you use more water …..Ravikiran Deshmukh
State directs civic bodies to do away with the old billing method and levy charges on the basis of volumetric system
The next time you leave your wash-basin tap running while brushing your teeth, think twice. The state government has directed all civic bodies to do away with the old billing system and bill users on the basis of volumetric system. Simply put, the more water you use, the more you pay.
A BMC official said that the directive will lead stoppage of unmetered water supply in the city. Also the slum pockets will no longer enjoy abundant unchecked water supply. It is important that the last government directive on water charges was issued in 1997.
The state directive, issued recently by the Urban Development Department is the fallout of the directives given by the Finance Commission of India and the Union Urban Development Ministry through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). In other words, civic bodies that fail to implement the water reforms will lose central and the state government assistance for the water supply schemes in future, said a senior government official.

The government has also directed that the civic bodies should take efforts to minimise water leakages, maintain water treatment plants, regularise illegal water connections, install water meters and ensure proper billing and effective recovery of the charges.

The state is concerned because it feels that most of the water supply schemes incurring huge losses due to poor management, failure of proper maintenance, absence of realistic charges and poor recovery. It is also added by illegal water connections, water leakages, free supply of water at sand posts and its uncontrolled usage, absence of effective mechanism for the billing and recovery of water charges, the official said. All these factors are leading to arrears of loans availed for the water supply schemes, efforts to bridge the gap between cost and recovery by diverting funds meant for the projects of civic development, resulting into quality of service delivered to citizens.

The water charges should be based on cost of the water supply scheme, transmission, purification and distribution costs, O&M charges and cost of the electricity supply. Currently, the civic bodies with sewerage system have to supply 135 LPCD (litre per capita per day) water. Cities without sewerage system have to supply 70 LCPD water. In metros the water supply is 150 LPCD. According to the directive, water charges should be based on the volume used instead of the diameter of the pipe and unmetered water supply.
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