The Hindu            20.11.2013

Cabinet may take up water tariff revision

Staff Reporter

The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday is likely to take up a proposal of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to revise the water tariff.

Sources hint at approval for only a moderate, across-the-board increase, not on the scale proposed by the authority.

The utility submitted the proposal before the Cabinet in October, seeking approval for revision of water charges for domestic and other consumers in the State. The tariff for domestic consumers was last revised in 1999 and others in 2008.

The KWA has sought permission to increase the tariff by 15 per cent every year to become financially sustainable within the next five to seven years.

The proposal called for a 100 per cent increase in the tariffs. For domestic consumers in the 0-5 and 5-10 kilolitre consumption categories, at present charged a minimum of Rs. 20 and Rs. 4 a kl thereafter, the proposal is to revise the rate to Rs. 40 and Rs. 8, respectively.

For those in the 10-20-kl category, the proposed increase is from Rs. 40 and Rs. 5 to Rs. 90 and Rs. 12.

Sources say the rates could be increased for all categories, including domestic and non-domestic.

The utility wants to increase the rate for public taps as well, suggesting that the annual rate for a rural public hydrant be raised to Rs. 5,250 from Rs. 3,500 and urban tap to Rs. 7,884 from Rs. 5,256.

The Hindu             19.11.2013

Water tariff hike to be announced in two days

A decision on increasing the water tariff in Bangalore is expected in about two days with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah empowering the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to take a call on the matter, and the latter in turn commencing discussions on the quantum of hike.

In other words, Bangaloreans should gear up to pay more for water supply from next month. The BWSSB, that met on Monday, is believed to be working on four options to come out with a reasonable hike.

BWSSB chairperson M.S. Ravishankar told The Hindu after the board meeting that the board members would study the options and arrive at a consensus on the hike. “We will take a final call on Tuesday or Wednesday after the members give their opinion. The new tariff will be effective from next month,” he said. Pointing out that the water charges had not been hiked since 2005 although power charges were raised at least eight times, Mr. Ravishankar said the hike was imminent now. “While our monthly expenses are nearly Rs. 75 crore, the revenue generation is only Rs. 50 crore. Our annual power charges have gone up from Rs 220 crore in 2005 to Rs 374 crore now,” he said.

He said the board did not want to bridge the revenue-expenditure deficit (which is nearly Rs. 30 crore now) at one go. “We have not revised the tariff in nine years. But that does not mean we want to recover the deficit in one revision itself. The idea is to ensure that the hike is viable for both the citizens and the BWSSB,” he said.

However, he added that the proposal was to bring down the revenue deficit to the minimum possible level.

Highly placed sources in the Urban Development Department said that although the Chief Minister had authorised the board to take a final call on the tariff revision, the final rates will be announced only after the Chief Minister’s approval.

BWSSB officials have been insisting on a reduction in the number of slabs from eight to five for both domestic and non-domestic connections. They want the present minimum slab of 0-8,000 litres to be revised to 0-6,000 litres. They also want the minimum rate of a kilolitre of water to be revised from Rs. 6 to Rs. 12.