he Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is likely to face an extra financial burden of ₹2.5 crore per year, as the Water Resources Department has increased water usage charges by 10%. In response, the NMC may also increase the water bills for city residents by a similar margin.
Every year, the Municipal Corporation pays around ₹24 crore to the Water Resources Department for lifting water from the Gangapur Dam, which supplies about 245 MLD (million litres per day) of water to the city. As per an agreement signed between both departments for the period 2022 to 2028, the NMC had been paying a rate of ₹6.50 per 10,000 litres for the first three years. Now, from June 2025, this rate will go up to ₹6.66, in line with the agreed-upon 10% hike after three years.
With the new rate, NMC's yearly payment will rise to about ₹26.5 crore.
At the same time, the NMC is also struggling to collect water tax from residents. As of now, city residents have defaulted on ₹250 crore worth of unpaid water bills. To recover this amount and improve revenue, the NMC has hired a private company called Canberry to conduct a survey of water tap connections and implement spot billing.
Using a mobile application, Canberry will record water meter readings and provide on-the-spot bills to customers. Starting from April 1, water bills are being sent quarterly, making it easier for residents to track and pay their dues.
This move is expected to help the NMC improve its water tax collection and manage rising operational costs. However, if the new water charge is passed on to the public, citizens may soon have to pay higher water bills.