The HMWSSB has effected a steep hike in tariffs for all categories of consumers.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board has effected a steep hike in tariffs for all categories of consumers.
The Board will be able to fetch Rs. 52 crore per month with the hiked charges, to be implemented from 1 December.
The domestic category has been classified into 7 slabs. For 0-15 Kilo Litres (KL) of water per month in slum areas, the charges have been increased by Re. 1.
However, for other areas, the charges have been increased by Rs. 4. Therefore, consumers in this slab will have to pay Rs. 10 per KL instead of Rs. 6.
Similarly, for the 16-30 KL slab, charges have been increased from Rs. 8 to Rs. 12; for the 31-50 KL slab, from Rs. 15 to Rs. 22; for the 51-100 slab from Rs. 20 to Rs. 27; and for the 101-200 KL slab per month, from Rs. 25 to Rs. 35 now.
Consumers in the domestic category, who consuming above 200 KL of water per month, will have to pay Rs. 40 instead of Rs. 35.
The Board will also collect 35% over the water demand towards Sewerage Cess Charges.
The Commercial Category has been broadly classified in 4 slabs. For the slab of 0-15 KL per month, consumers will now be charged Rs. 20. Earlier, the charges were only Rs. 6.
A new slab of 16-100 KL has been created by merging 3 slabs whose charges varied between Rs. 8 and Rs. 20. Consumers in the new slab will have to pay Rs. 35.
For the 101-200 KL slab, the charges have been doubled to Rs. 50.
For the Industrial Category, charges have been almost tripled. Now, consumers in this category will have to pay Rs. 25 for 0-15 KL; Rs. 40 for 16-100 KL; Rs. 60 for 101-200 KL, and Rs. 100 for all water-based units.
For housing colonies and gated communities, the charges have been increased by almost 4 times. For upto the agreed quantity, the rate per KL of water will be Rs. 10. However, for beyond the agreed quantity consumers will have to pay Rs. 40 per KL.
For multi-storied residential apartments, the minimum of 9 KL per flat per month will charged Rs. 10 per KL, and thus, it will work out to Rs. 90 per month for water charges per flat. A sewerage cess at the rate of 35% will be charged on water charges. The minimum monthly charges per flat will be Rs. 121.50 per month.
For housing colonies and gated communities located outside the GHMC area, charges will be Rs. 13.50 per KL for upto the agreed quantity, and Rs. 54 per KL for beyond the agreed quantity.
However, no sewerage cess will be levied for this category of consumers.
Charges for industries and commercial consumers located outside the GHMC area have been fixed at Rs. 90 KL for any quantity. However, for water-based industries, the charges will be Rs. 120 per KL.
In gram panchayats and municipalities, the rates have been increased from Rs. 10 to Rs. 40.
Tanker supplies for domestic purposes will be available at Rs. 400 per 5 KL, while the price for non-domestic purposes will be Rs. 515 per 5 KL.
According to the HMWSSB, the comprehensive revision of water and sewerage tariff was done last time in May 2002, and subsequently, it was rationalized in the year 2004 by introducing differential slab rates for below 200 KL consumption.
Due to the revision of this tariff, the HMWSSB can meet its operational and maintenance costs by raising Rs. 52 crore per month. (INN)