Although it has been on the cards for a while, the sudden and steep hike in water tariff announced for the city by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has come as a shock to many Bengalureans. No one seems to have expected an increase ranging from 19 to 50 per cent at one shot.
“The BWSSB should have hiked the tariff periodically instead of burdening us at one go. Such a steep increase is not justified when water is not being supplied to all parts of the city uniformly,” says Mr Rajashekar, a resident of East Bengaluru, who gets Cauvery water only thrice a week.
Others argue that when the quality of water remains substandard with reports of contamination frequently coming in from low-lying areas, the BWSSB has no business demanding more money for poor service.
“On what basis is the BWSSB charging us so much?” asks Mr Rajendra Prabhakar, a member of People’s Campaign for Right to Water. Calling the hike “anti-people” he protests that the decision has been made unilaterally without consulting any civic experts.
“Reforms in the water sector have been on the anvil since the S.M. Krishna government, but nothing has been done due to political reasons.
The state government, which gives in to the dictates of foreign organisations, does not care to meet people’s needs. It should not consider water supply a money-making sector that can give it some extra revenue.
Water shouldn’t be treated like a commodity,” he underlines, adding, “There is no logic in increasing the sanitary charges by 200 per cent!”
While he is clearly unmoved by the BWSSB’s assertion that the hike is essential to bridge the gap between its expenditure and revenue, experts too don’t buy the board’s excuses, and instead blame its lethargy in collecting tariff regularly from all connections for its poor finances.
