D K Shivakumar seeks report from BWSSB on ‘inevitable’ water tariff hike in Bengaluru, cites loss of Rs 1,000 crore per year

As h2o bills person not been revised for much than 10 years, BWSSB was incurring losses of Rs 1,000 crore per year. “The energy measure of BWSSB has accrued from Rs 35 crore to Rs 75 crore (between 2014 and 2025),” helium said, estimating the losses owed to non-revision of h2o tariff astatine astir Rs 85 crore per month.

Shivakumar said that the hike had “become inevitable”. “The Board is uncovering it hard to rise funds arsenic banks are refusing to lend loans owed to the losses,” helium said. Previously, Shivakumar blamed “political reasons” for not revising fares for implicit a decade.

He said a determination was yet to beryllium made connected the quantum of the h2o tariff hike. “It volition beryllium decided aft elaborate deliberations,” helium said. For the poor, helium said a token complaint of astatine slightest 1 paise per litre would beryllium applied to assistance BWSSB accurately measurement the magnitude of h2o supplied to the city.

This was not the archetypal clip Shivakumar talked astir the impending h2o tariff hike. In August, portion launching the ‘Cauvery Water astatine Your Doorstep’ campaign, helium highlighted that determination had been nary h2o tariff hike successful the metropolis for years, placing immense strain connected BWSSB’s finances.

Defending the h2o tariff increase, helium said, “Our authorities has reduced energy tariffs. This concern arises from the rising prices of petrol and diesel. Additionally, employees person an other dearness allowance (DA). However, the Board’s employees are presently facing issues owed to unpaid salaries.” Asked astir the one-time colony strategy successful BWSSB, helium said, “It is being deliberated, and I person instructed officials to look into it.”

He besides stated that the authorities had acceptable speech Rs 20 crore to supply h2o to slums and municipality poor, but the BJP had stopped that scheme. “We volition restart that scheme. The h2o supplied to the mediocre besides needs to beryllium measured adjacent if a token magnitude is charged. The h2o supplied to slums is being misused successful galore places. We person formulated a program to cod close accusation connected h2o depletion crossed the city. Illegal connections indispensable beryllium regularised,” helium said.

Shivakumar details preparations for summertime successful Bengaluru

Shivakumar mentioned that the officials person been instructed to expedite filling up tanks to complaint groundwater successful the metropolis successful the run-up to the summer. “We person instructed officials to guarantee determination is nary h2o shortage successful Bengaluru this summer,” helium said.

On the precocious inaugurated Cauvery 5th signifier h2o proviso project, helium said 15,000 caller connections were provided pursuing its implementation. “We are providing 20,000 much connections,” helium said. According to Shivakumar, galore flat complexes were not taking the Cauvery h2o connection. “All of them person been told to instrumentality h2o connections mandatorily,” helium said.

He besides noted, “The authorities has spent wealth for nationalist use, but galore person taken amerciable connections to debar deposits and fees. The authorities has taken beardown enactment to forestall amerciable connections. Officials are visiting each location and flat analyzable to impulse radical to instrumentality Cauvery h2o connection.”