The Times of India       06.01.2011

KOLKATA: Though there may be differences between municipal affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya and Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee on the introduction of water tax in Kolkata, both agree that water meters need to be installed in the city to assess the consumption pattern by residents in various areas and to eliminate colossal wastage of potable water.

On Tuesday, Bhattacharya made it clear to municipal commissioner Arnab Roy that there was no escape' route for KMC authorities on installation of water meters and introduction of water tax. Reacting to Bhattacharya's reaction, the mayor said on Wednesday that there was no plan to introduce water tax right now. But there was a wide scope for installation of water meters, he said. Referring to a `9 crore grant sanctioned by the state government, a senior official of the state urban development department said KMC authorities were supposed to utilise the funds to buy water meters.

In fact, the KMC authorities have asked the water supply department officials to gear up for installation of water meters first in the water treatment plants and booster pumping stations and subsequently in the highrise buildings in select areas. As an experiment, the KMC authorities have already installed water meters at Palta Water Treatment plant and Tallah reservoir and booster pumping station.

Asian Development Bank has agreed to disburse a second phase of loans to KMC for infrastructure development on condition that the civic body give in writing what steps it has taken to augment revenue from water supply. Under pressure, the civic brass has asked the water supply department to select some highrises to install water meters in phases. "So far, we have been earning from industrial, commercial and institutional water connections. Now we need to install water meters in the domestic segment," said a KMC official.