The Centre had given approval
to 24X7 water supply project on February 13, 2009, at a cost of Rs387.86
crore. The project was to complete by April this year. But according to
the revised schedule, it will take two more years to complete the
project.

Under the 24X7 project, the NMC has to install new
water meters in place of defunct ones and new connections absolutely
free of cost. The same was also done in the pilot project which was
implemented in some parts of Dharampeth Zone. The NMC implemented the
project by handing over the entire water works of the city to a private
operator – Orange City Water Limited (OCWL) in November 2011 but later
revised it to March this year. With the implementation of the project,
it is understood that the new water meters should be installed free of
cost.

According to the information provided by the NMC officials
and plumbers, around 60 new water meters are installed every day in
city. About the expenses on new meters, the officials said that the
plumbers are collecting Rs1,300 per meter from the citizens. It raises
question mark as to why the NMC is collecting the charges for new water
meter.

Also the actual charges being taken by the plumbers to
replace a defunct meter with a new one is very high. A resident of
Abhyankar Nagar went to the NMC’s Laxmi Nagar Zone to replace a defunct
meter. The person said that he was asked to pay Rs2,500 to the plumber.
“Staff at the zone office told me to contact the plumber as process is executed through him,” he said.

“Rs1,300 is taken for purchase of new meter and Rs250 for its testing.
Plumber takes additional charge of for installation of the meter,”
engineers at the zone office said.

But, according to the orders passed in 2009 by the then municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta,
the registered plumbers can charge Rs250 for installation of new meters
as they have “to do some hard work”. . But there is no scope of any
‘hard work’ while replacing the defunct meter with new. Still, the
plumbers are charging Rs950 for the work. This again had raised a
serious question mark over the way work is being done.

Speaking to TOI, leader of ruling party Praveen Datke
said, “Person who is getting average bill wants to install new meter.
But the NMC is not at all compelling anyone to replace the defunct
meters. If we start installing the new meters free of cost before
providing water 24X7, it may result in an uproar. If anyone doesn’t want
to change the defunct meter then it will be replaced when the
respective area is covered under the project.