Water to cost 10 pc more from New Year

Hangover in a holiday is not what Delhiites will wake up to on Sunday morning, but with a concern over the usage of water as every drop flowing out of taps would be costing more with the advent of 2012.

Although there is no notification in this regard from the Delhi Jal Board, it is to be reminded that the board had decided to increase the water tariffs by ten per cent every year in 2009.

The inflated charges in  January 2011 had confused consumers  who had rushed to the billing department, complaining about the bill which showed an increase in calculation by 10 percent as per the policy decision.

According to a DJB official, the water charges this year will again be hiked by 10 per cent and will be effective from January 1, 2012.

 “The water rates will go up by 10 per cent like it did this year. Board is not issuing any notification in this regard because it was announced right after it was decided in 2009 that the water rates will be hiked by 10 per cent every year,” the official said.
According to the existing system, consumers pay water charges based on the slab system where every consumer pays Rs 2.20 per kilolitre (1000 litres) plus a surcharge of Rs 55 for consuming water up to 10 kilolitres per month; Rs 3.30 per kilolitre plus a surcharge of Rs 110 for consumption of water between 10-20 kilolitres. In the third slab, consumers pay Rs 16.50 per kilolitre for consumption between 20-30 kilolitres.

This attracts a surcharge of Rs 165 for the consumer. Anyone consuming above this pays Rs 27.50 per kilolitre and surcharge of Rs 220. In addition to these, service maintenance charges are also levied.

However, all this will go up by 10 per cent starting Sunday.
In February, consumers can also expect inflated electricity bills when power distribution companies will recover the fuel surcharge that they had paid to the electricity generation firms for October-November-December.

In January, power distribution companies will put their bills related to fuel surcharge before the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

Once it verifies the paper, companies would extract the same from the consumers which will reflect in their electricity bills from February.

It is expected that the bill would go up 30 paise per unit cost to 90 paise.