Bengaluru: Apartments in the city have launched a fight against the BWSSB. Apartment dwellers complain that to draw a new Cauvery water connection to apartment the water board charges Rs 400 per square feet, while the same for individual houses is charged at just Rs 250 per square feet. They allege that water is drawn for domestic purpose and not any commercial purpose and condemn the double standard of BWSSB.
Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF), has started a fight against unscrupulous and discriminatory practices of BWSSB.
Mr Jitesh Midha, BAF Representatives, said, “BWSSB charges Rs. 400 per sq. m. for a new Cauvery connection for an apartment, against Rs. 250 per sq. m. for individual houses. We are residential users, why should we pay a higher rate than individual houses?”
Rashmi Kumar, resident of an apartment in Kasavanahalli, said, “It also classifies club house and gym in apartments, which are for internal use by residents, as commercial and charges at Rs. 600 per sq. m. Will an individual house owner who has a treadmill inside her home and holds a birthday party be considered as commercial?”
Cluster Leaders of BAF Bellandur, added, that “Authorized plumbers of BWSSB act as middlemen and harass apartments with illegal demands of additional money. The net result is that an individual apartment owner pays Rs. 1 – 1.25 lakhs for a Cauvery connection, against Rs. 25 – 40,000 for an individual house owner!”
Nagaraja Rao, Governing Council Representative of BAF, said, “The harassment does not stop with the provision of the connection. Once water supply starts, BWSSB charges apartment residents at Rs. 22 per kilo litre against Rs. 7 per kilo litre for individual house owners.”
Srikanth Narasimhan, General Secretary of BAF, concluded that BAF will continue its fight against this discrimination and harassment and also take up this issue with the Government as well as MP candidates for the Lok Sabha election and remind them of the promises made by their parties last year.”
BWSSB chief engineer Mr Kemparamaiah was not available for comments.
