ELURU: The move by Eluru Municipal Corporation (EMC) to push through a crucial proposal regarding the installation of water meters in the city on a pilot basis at its council meeting scheduled on Monday, is likely to trigger a controversy.

Even as the EMC authorities are preparing the ground for clearing the proposal, the CPI(M) town committee has written letters to all the corporators to oppose it. It contends that installation of water meters to domestic taps would lead to a steep increase in the spending by people for water consumption and deprive the poorer sections of access to municipal water supply system. The party city secretary B. Somaiah, in the letters posted to the corporators, said the water bill would be higher than the power bill hereafter. The proposal of water metres was a prelude to EMC's plans to phase out the public taps meant for the poorer sections. However, the EMC authorities claim that the move was intended to ensure round-the-clock water supply to the people by checking its misuse.

As an initial step, the EMC is planning to introduce meters in three divisions (32, 34 and 35) in Ramachandraraopet area for "rationalisation" of water supply. The proposal is expected to "benefit" 823 households.

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