Bengaluru: After 2005, the BWSSB hiked water tariff only after nine years in 2014. Since then, there has been no water tariff hike, but the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board is burdened by a regular hike in power tariff. The water board is now batting for a periodic revision of tariffs, at least once in three years, and has prepared a draft which will become a reality if the government approves it.
“It is almost three years since the water board hiked the tariffs. There was bit of a relief after the 2014 hike. But every passing year, the cost of pumping water, including staff salaries, operation and maintenance charges, electricity charges, consumables, etc, are increasing. All this expenditure has to be met with the current revenue, which is generated through monthly water and sanitary charges" said a senior BWSSB official.
“As per Section 16 of the BWSSB Act, 1984, the board is empowered to revise water and sanitary charges. As the tariff is not revised at regular intervals but done randomly, we are planning to put a system in place where we can revise the tariffs once every three years automatically without burdening the board and consumers,” he said. On the strategy to be adopted to decide the tariffs, he said, “As per our policy, we aim to supply water at low rates. It will be calculated in accordance with water usage and will vary for domestic and commercial purposes. Unit charge will be hiked progressively, which will be directly proportional to the consumption volume.”
Pumping water from the Cauvery river at Torekadanahalli, which is over 100 km from the city, eats up a major portion of the revenue. Every day, over 1,300-1,400 MLD of water is pumped and the power bill alone is over Rs 35 crore, the official said. At present, for domestic users, BWSSB charges Rs 7 per kilolitre in the first slab of 0-8,000 litres, Rs 11 in the next slab of 8,000-25,000 litres, Rs 26 in the slab of 25,000-50,000 litres and Rs 45 for usage above 50,000 litres.
