Having a defective water meter? Replace it on your own, else face double the tariff rate

This goes to burden the consumers whose meters are lost or defective from the back end.

According to the Chandigarh civic body, there are 44,000 defective meters in the city.

The notice specified that “it will be the responsibility of the consumer to get the faulty/ defective meter replaced within one month from the issue of notice for defective meter, otherwise recovery on panel rate that is double the applicable tariff will be charged from the consumer. They will be exempted from the water meter rent”.

Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO), felt that “double tariff shouldn’t be charged”.

“Under such circumstances, normal practice is that billing is done as per average past consumption and not the double tariff,” he said.

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation also mentioned that in case the water meter is installed by them, then too it will be the consumer who will have to shell out money.

“It is also informed that water meter will be installed by the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, at the expense of the consumer after getting it tested from the Municipal Corporation Laboratory, Chandigarh,” the notice read.

With application for change of defective meter, one needs to submit self-attested ID proof, water bill and new purchased water meter bill.

Chandigarh Mayor Kuldeep Kumar told The Indian Express, “I will surely get it checked. If someone’s water meter is defective, that is not how you burden the consumer… what is his fault? It is the civic body that has to bear the expenses for the defective water meters.”

Last year, the MC had decided to replace 44,000 water meters that have been lying defective for the last seven years in Chandigarh. The agenda of the same had come up last year in the House meeting.

According to civic officials, because of these defective water meters, consumers were getting panel average water bills.

It was mentioned that the civic body will be replacing these water meters at the cost of consumers. The cost will come to around Rs 2,500 per meter depending upon the quality and make of the water meter.

As per the decision that hasn’t gone down well with the people, the defective water meters are to be replaced by the consumer.

The officials said that maximum they could do was to avoid harassment being faced by the consumer for purchase and getting the same tested from MC lab. The civic body has proposed to replace the water meters by itself, but the expenses regarding the cost of the water meter, testing charges and installation of water meters will be borne by the consumer and same will be recovered through the water bills.

A senior official of the Chandigarh civic body told The Indian Express, “This decision was approved by the General House itself last year.”

History

In 2000, the civic body had approved a similar agenda that consumer will buy their own water meters, following which Consumers Association Chandigarh approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision of the civic body. It was in 2001 that the High Court directed the MC to install water meters by itself up to half an inch diameter and directed them to refund the cost of the water meter to the consumer through bimonthly bills.