Rise in water bills draws public wrath

Warangal: The Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC)’s decision to impose a threefold increase on water consumption charges for apartments is being met with fierce opposition from the residents, who are getting ready for a non-cooperation movement.

Through a resolution No: 49 passed by the GWMC Council recently, it was decided to increase the water charges from the existing cost of Rs 15 to Rs 50 per kilo litre with effect from March 1, 2017. The residents are being intimated about the decision since last week of July.

Further, the Corporation has designated water tap connections at residential apartments as commercial connections. This has irked the residents of apartments. Left wing parties and Joint Action Committee of Civil Societies (CJAC) took to the streets opposing the decision.

With this the residents living in about 500 residential apartments in the city are set to bear the brunt.
The office bearers of Apartments Welfare Association and the JAC held a meeting a couple of days ago to chalk out an action plan to launch agitations.

The association advisor MN Sampath Kumar informed that they have called upon all the apartments’ associations not to pay the bills issued with enhanced charges.

Speaking to The Hans India, the JAC honorary president Prof K Venkata Narayana questioned the rationale behind designating the apartments as commercial zones. ‘How could the Corporation levy commercial water charges on domestic connections?’ he posed.

“Are we selling anything or engaged in any business? How the apartments become commercial zones? The very use of the word ‘commercial’ to refer apartments’ water connections is in appropriate. The GWMC must withdraw the increased water charges as well as the term commercial,” stated Sampath Kumar.

Another advisor of the association G Prabhakar Reddy urged the residents of the apartments to come forward and join the agitations they planned to launch in a couple of days against the Corporations’ decision.

It is unwise and highly objectionable to increase the charges by 3.3 times at a time. The apartments associations, which used to get a water bill of Rs 3,000 for three months consumption are now getting bills ranging from Rs 30, 000 to Rs 60, 000 and even one lakh rupees, they lamented.

The GWMC Mayor and the Commissioner must understand that those living in apartments are from middle class background and there are pensioners among them. And the apartments are meant for residential purpose not commercial establishments, they underscored.

“With the increase in water charges, the maintenance charges paid by apartments’ residents will also go up and become an additional burden on the residents,” lamented V Krishnama Charya, a resident of Dwaraka Sai Apartments in Hanamkonda.

If the Corporation wants to increase its revenues, it should explore other avenues to do so. But it is not advisable to target middle class sections, suggested the JAC state convener Tirunahari Sheshu.

Responding on the issue, the GWMC Mayor N Narender stated that they will look into the objections being raised against the increase of water charges. ‘Soon a decision acceptable to all will be taken,’ he added.