Water woes: MCC might start disconnection drive

Committee visit highlights several issues regarding water supply

Several issues regarding collection of water bills were highlighted during an inspection visit of Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) conducted by the Finance Standing Committee of Mysore City Corporation (MCC), here on Monday.

Among the prominent issues, were some localities within MCC refusing to pay water bills, Jamshedpur Urban Supplies and Utilities Company (JUSCO) seeking a revision in a rate paid for them to collect water bills, and documentation.

It can be recalled that water bills to the tune of a whopping Rs 83 crore have been kept pending. MCC, in the brink of a financial crisis, recently launched a drive to recover the pending water bills.

President of Finance Standing Committee, B L Bhyrappa said that JUSCO has faced issues in collecting water bills in parts of the city, and are faced by hostile consumers who refuse to pay bills. “There are regions in MCC limits where water bills have not been collected from the past 20 years. JUSCO has not been able to collect bills at Vijayanagar first stage, Vijayanagar second stage, Metagalli and others,” he said.

Of the Rs 83 crore kept pending, Rs 26 crore are from industries and customers who owe Re 1 lakh or more, he said.

A meeting will be convened with MCC Commissioner regarding the issue. A decision to invite the Managing Director of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board to hold a meeting and sort out the issues of water supply and bill collection has also been taken, he said.

Executive Engineer of Vani Vilas Water Works, Rangaswamy said that the drive to collect water bills was already on. “We have served notices to consumers who have pending water bills of Rs one lakh or more. We have also issued a stern warning that if bills are not paid, a water disconnection drive will be launched,” he said.

Rate issues

Water bill collection was also hit as JUSCO was to collect water bills of 1,30,000 connections, as per the tender contract. However, since the number of actual connections was 50,000 more, JUSCO was paid fixed rates to collect bills from the extra houses. JUSCO had sought a revision in the rates paid to them.

Rangaswamy said that all the issues regarding rates payable to JUSCO has been sorted out and it would continue the process of collecting bills soon.