The Hindu 02.09.2013
Water charges: problems arise in Coimbatore
The recent increase in water charges by the Coimbatore
Corporation has spared the residents of added areas — the 11 local
bodies that merged with the Coimbatore Corporation a couple of years
ago.
People in Kavundampalayam, Kurichi, Kuniamuthur,
Veerakeralam, Vadavalli, Vellakinar, Thudiyalur, Kalapatti,
Saravanampatti, Chinna Vedampatty and Vilankurichi continue to pay the
old tariff.
And they will continue to do so for
another year, as at the time of annexing the local bodies, the
Corporation had said that it would revise the water charges for three
years.
Not uniform
The water charges the residents of the added areas pay is not uniform.
A
few pay the same amount as the old city area residents but most pay at
least 50 per cent less than what the old city residents pay. Residents
of Vilankurichi, which was a village panchayat, prior to the annexure
pay the lowest. The disparity in water supply is not the only challenge
the Corporation will face when it tries to levy a uniform rate sometime
next year.
All the 11 local bodies have a flat rate
system in that irrespective of the consumption, the residents pay Rs.
100 of Rs. 50 or Rs. 60 a month.
The same holds good for commercial water connections as well.
This is because the connections are not metered, say councillors who represent the added areas.
None
of the local bodies has fixed meters. Only if they do so will they be
able to have a slab rate system as the Corporation has.
Bulk connections
Another
issue at hand is all the local bodies treat domestic bulk connections
(water supplied in bulk to apartments) as individual connections and
levy charges for apartments based on the number of connections availed.
The number invariably equals the number of flats.
Councillors
in added areas say that the Corporation, prior to bring in uniform
water charge, should first repair or replace the water supply pipelines
to make the supply on a par with the old city area. Only then the
increase will have a meaning.
Equal charge
Equal charge for equal supply should be the norm.
Sources
in the Corporation say that the civic body is engaged in improving
water supply by initiating a host of measures, which include replacement
of water supply pipeline network, construction of over head tanks,
replacement of supply main, installation of generators to ensure
continuous supply among others.
The Corporation is doing the work not only to bring about parity in supply but also provide a 24×7 water supply in the future.
The civic body will soon take up a project to provide water 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
People
in Kavundampalayam, Kurichi, Kuniamuthur, Veerakeralam, Vadavalli,
Vellakinar, Thudiyalur, Kalapatti, Saravanampatti, Chinna Vedampatty and
Vilankurichi continue to pay the old tariff.
