Despite protests,Pimpri civic body firm on water-meters

Despite protests from residents against the exorbitant water bills,the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to go ahead with the new water meter system.

Despite protests from residents against the exorbitant water bills,the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to go ahead with the new water meter system. Residents had complained that they had received bills running into lakh whereas previously they paid a flat rate of Rs 1276 annually.

Addressing media persons,Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said 1.10 lakh water meters have been installed and the citizens will be billed as per water consumption and not on flat rates as was done earlier. “After our statistical survey,we found that 81 per cent residents have no complaints about the water meters. The complainants are those who had a higher usage of water,” he said.

Refuting the charge that the water-meter system is leading to exorbitant bills,Sharma said that it is leading to judicious usage of water. “After people got their first bill,they realised their consumption was on the higher side. Then they reduced their consumption which lowered their bills. This clearly indicates that the wastage of water is now coming to an end,” he said.

Sharma said that a total of 1.10 lakh meters have been installed across the industrial town. “We installed the meters under JNNURM free of cost. Inspite of several appeals,nearly 10,000 meters are yet to be installed. Now we have decided to include the meter charges in the bills to be sent to the customers,” he said. Sharma said that soon customers would get water bills every three months.

Corporator Maruti Bhapkar said the water-meter system is leading to protests due to the difference in levying charges. ” Up to three lakh litres,society residents are charged at Rs 2.50 per 1,000 litres. But chawl residents are charged at Rs 7 per 1,000 litres if the usage goes beyond the stipulated 1.50 lakh litres,” Bhapkar said.

He said in Pune city,the slum dwellers have to pay Rs 300 as annual water charge,but in Pimpri-Chinchwad the slum dwellers have to pay Rs 1.75 per litre.

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