The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhiites resent tariff hike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhiites resent tariff hike

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30. Delhiites today expressed their deep dismay over the steep increase in water tariff announced by the Delhi Jal Board. Urging the Delhi Government to have a rethink on the issue, they asked the water utility to first plug its loopholes, particularly water leakage and wastage, before putting an additional burden on the citizens.

Individuals as well as cooperative group housing societies have termed the hike as an "extremely unfair step" that would make life more difficult for the people as the prices of other essential commodities have already gone up. People belonging to the middle and upper middle class as well as the weaker sections of society have condemned the hike, describing it as an "arbitrary" step.

"According to the new tariffs, my monthly water bill will shoot up from Rs.70 per month to almost Rs.350. Apart from the increase in water charges, there will also be new additions in the bill like fixed charges and a high 50 per cent sewer surcharge. A hike ranging from 400 per cent to over 21 times without any improvement in the supply is a highly arbitrary and an illogical step," said R N Dubey, a resident of Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi.

Lambasting the DJB for having failed miserably in reducing water leakages and wastage, Krishna Pathak, a resident of Pushp Vihar in South Delhi, said there was a perpetual water crisis in his entire locality.

"We have been meeting DJB officials for the past couple of years requesting them to do something to improve the supply in our area. We have to ask for tankers and then carry water in buckets to our multi-storey flats. But instead of doing something for us, they have increased the water tariff. Paying more for poor service is highly ridiculous. We are ready to pay more provided the DJB improved the supply in our locality," he said.

Similarly, residents have expressed anger over the DJB's failure to tackle the problem of water-theft in unauthorised colonies and slums. "They should first crackdown on the unscrupulous elements who steal water and then ensure proper supply to all those who are paying their bills. More importantly, the DJB should first put its house in order. It should immediately check wastage of around 40 per cent through leakages. The DJB treats enough water but it never reaches our homes and is lost during supply," asserted Pritam Singh, a resident of Karol Bagh.

The group housing societies are also sore over the hike as they fear that they would be affected the most.

The Federation of Rohini Cooperative Group Housing Societies has stated that the excessive amount of volumetric water charges along with a 50 per cent surcharge that they would have to pay from April 1 would hit them hard.

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