Chandigarh MC to replace faulty water meters, recover cost, penalty from erring consumers

The UT Administration has allowed the Municipal Corporation (MC) to replace defective water meters on its own and recover the cost from the respective consumers. Now, the residents have been given one month to replace the defective water meters on their own, failing which the MC will do it and recover the cost from them.

Besides, the civic body will also impose penal charges on such consumers as per the provisions of the water bylaws.

Sources said a large number of water meters in the city had been lying defective for years. This was causing harassment to the consumers, and huge financial loss to the civic body.

An MC official said if the meter was defective, the consumer would be charged for water at the flat rate, irrespective of the consumption.

In many cases, it has been observed that instead of paying the bills with penal charges, the consumers file appeals in courts and the cases get stuck in the litigation. Besides, defective meters also lead to wastage of drinking water.

The issue was raised during General House meetings of the MC on a number of occasions. Last year, the MC had written to the UT Administration to make amendments in the water bylaws so that the civic body gets the power to replace the defective meters on its own and recover the cost from the consumers. Earlier, it was the responsibility of the consumer to get defective/lost/stolen water meter replaced within a month from the date of the issuing of water bill.