The Hindu 25.06.2013
BWSSB hopes State will agree on tariff hike
which has been pressing for a hike in water tariff, is hoping the new
government will soon take a decision in this regard.
BWSSB chairperson Gaurav Gupta, who has apprised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about the board’s financial condition, told
The Hindu
Monday the monthly power, operation and maintenance costs would go up
drastically after the new Cauvery Stage IV Phase II project is fully
commissioned.
Although the new project has been
planned to augment the city’s supply of 900 million litres of water per
day (mld) by 500 mld, the BWSSB is drawing only 200 mld. “But once the
project is fully commissioned, our expenses will go up drastically. But
nothing can be said about when the rates will be hiked and by how much.”
The
BWSSB, which has spent Rs. 1,759 crore on the project with assistance
from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been pushing
for a hike for several years. Although the power tariff was revised
more than twice since 2005, the water tariff has remained the same in
the last eight years.
Although the former BWSSB
Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu had in April 2011 announced that water
rates would be hiked, the proposal was not approved by the Cabinet.
Appeal for grants
A
source said the Board has also requested the government to either
sanction annual grants or permit it to hike water tariff. The Board has
not been receiving any government grants so far. “We cannot compromise
on operation and maintenance of existing lines. We need money to replace
and rehabilitate the old lines.”
BWSSB spends Rs. 28
crore a month on power to pump water to the city from its reservoirs.
“As this cost is likely to increase by another Rs. 20 crore (Rs. 240
crore annually) after pumping of the extra 500 mld starts, we are asking
for an annual grant of Rs. 200 crore,” the official said.
