LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK
Nashik, Nov 22
The Water Supply Department of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has put forward the proposal for increase in domestic, non-domestic, and commercial water tariffs for approval. This increase will be almost 140 percent. Also, NMC is preparing to impose a three percent sewage user charge for the first time. If the approval is given in the Standing Committee meeting to the proposal, this rate hike will be applicable from the next financial year. Before this, the water tariff was increased in the year 2012.
At present, the NMC is facing financial hardship, and according to the order of the commissioner, the administration is looking for new options for revenue. Accordingly, the Water Supply Department has proposed to the Standing Committee to increase the water tariff. Earlier, the Municipal Corporation had increased the water tariff in the year 2012. But, whenever the topic of water tariff hikes came forth in the subsequent years, the political parties strongly opposed it. Therefore, water has been supplied to the citizens at the same rate for the last 12 years. But, there is a huge cost in taking water from the dam and processing it; which the tariff does not recover. While the NMC is expecting a recovery of Rs 89 crores, only Rs 40 crores of water tariff is being collected.
In view of this dire situation, the proposal for increasing the water tariff has been placed before the Standing Committee for approval. A 140 percent increase is proposed for all three types of consumers namely domestic, non-domestic, and commercial. It also includes certain rate hikes every year till 2027. Also, the target of recovering water tariff has been set at Rs 144 crores per year. At present, there is administrative rule in the NMC, and since there is no political pressure, there is no possibility of opposition to the tariff hike. Although other cities have increased rates from time to time, NMC is an exception. Therefore, it is certain that the tariff hike will be approved this year.
Info-
Sewage User Charge
Year- Percent
2023 - 3
2024 - 3.50
2025 - 4
2026 - 4.50