Residents irked by water rate disparity in Solan MC area

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, August 9

Varying rates of water are being charged from the residents of areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Solan Municipal Corporation (MC). The Jal Shakti Department (JSD) supplies water, while the MC distributes it.

The residents have raised the issue of disparity in water rates time and again but little has been done to resolve the issue so far. Several rural areas were merged with the MC in 2020 when it was upgraded from a municipal council. Two parameters have been adopted for working out water charges in the MC area. While Rs 29 is charged per 1,000 litre in a majority of wards, residents of the newly merged areas as well as some other wards like Ward number 1, pay Rs 13 per 1,000 litre. Water charges are revised every year in April.

Efforts to provide uniform water at the rate of Rs 100 per month as per a resolution passed in August 2021 was not accepted by the state government as it would have resulted in financial losses to the state exchequer.

This has defeated the efforts of the MC to provide subsided water as promised by the Congress in its poll manifesto of 2021. Though the Congress councillors have taken up the issue of waiving the pending liability as well as taking up the distribution from the JSD with the state government, but residents did not get much relief.

The Solan MC has a pending liability of over Rs 100 crore towards the Jal Shakti Department. The department is providing bulk water supply to the MC at the rate of Rs 27.71 per 1,000 litre, whereas it charges Rs 22 per 1,000 litre and the MC incurs a loss of Rs 5.71 per 1,000 litre. The state government had rejected this move of subsided water in 2021, noting that further slashing of the tariff would invite additional losses and adversely hit the financial position of the civic body.

As per the calculations made by the state government, slashing the tariff would incur an additional financial loss of Rs 80.55 lakh annually, thus worsening the financial position of the civic body. It is also considered contrary to the HP Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

With leaking pipes and worn-out distribution network, the residents have been facing the worst water crisis this year. “The MC should focus on checking illegal connections from the main lines as well as refurbishing their distribution network by providing adequate funds to provide relief to the consumers. I have also taken up the issue of not increasing the water charges every year as the residents fail to get adequate supply,” says Shailendra Gupta, councillor from Ward Number 9.

Worn-out distribution network

• With leaking pipes and worn-out distribution network, Solan residents have been facing the worst water crisis this year.
• “The MC should focus on checking illegal connections from the main lines as well as refurbishing their distribution network by providing adequate funds to provide relief to the consumers,” said Shailendra Gupta, councillor from Ward Number 9.