The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : `Hike in charges only after Godavari water supply'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

`Hike in charges only after Godavari water supply'

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM, JULY 14. The Visakhapatnam Mayor, Rajana Ramani, said that water charges would be increased from Rs.60 to Rs.100 per month only after the supply of Godavari water begins in the city and assured people that water meters would not be thrust on them.

Speaking to newspersons here today, she said that the Municipal Corporation had undertaken an ambitious project costing Rs.600 crores to bring the Godavari waters from Rajahmundry to Visakhapatnam to solve the problem of acute water scarcity experienced in the last two years. A company was floated for the purpose in which the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and L&T were shareholders. It is for the Government to decide whether or not to take over the company by buying 27 per cent shares held by L&T.

The corporation on its part wanted to make use of the project to meet industrial and drinking water needs of the city. Industrial consumers would meet most of the capital and also maintenance cost of the project. The corporation wants to supply drinking water at no-loss-no-profit basis to the people. It has no intention to fleece the people in the name of Godavari waters, she contended.

As the corporation wanted to ensure 24-hour supply, it proposed meters only to avoid wastage of water. As the people entertained fears, the corporation has decided not to thrust meters on them. It would only educate them to install meters.

It would be enough if people paid Rs. 100 per month towards water charges. Slum dwellers need to pay only Rs. 50. The balance will come from industrial users, she said.

The company laid a pipeline from Rajahmundry to the Yeleru resrvoir and water would be made available at the Kanithi reservoir by July-end. The corporation had to pay Rs. 1.5 crore per month to the company from that date, but the corporation would be able to supply Godavari water to the people only by November 15 when it plans to complete construction of filtration plants, pipelines, etc. Water charges would be increased only after the supply of Godavari water to the people.

Mrs. Rajana Ramani also clarified that there was no proposal to revise property tax and asked people not to entertain any fears in this regard. She said that officials were asking people to file Form 213 to gather data on plinth area, open spaces, nature of utility, etc for feeding into computers. It has nothing to do with the revision of property tax, which required a council resolution and approval from the Government.

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