BWSSB proposes revision of water tariff rates, reaches Bengaluru MPS, MLA | Bangalore News

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairman Ram Prasatha Manohar has asked all Bengaluru MLAs and MPs seeking their support and feedback on a proposal to revise water tariff rates amid rising operational costs.

In his letter dated November 2, the chairman asked for help in revising the water tariff due to increasing operating expenses and lack of funds.

BWSSB supplies drinking water to Bengaluru from Cauvery river, 100 km away. As an autonomous body, the board depends only on the revenue from water tariff. However, the existing rates, which were last revised in 2014, are proving insufficient to cover rising operating expenses. Manohar said in his letter that the board spends Rs 170 crore per month and has a revenue of Rs 129 crore per month, resulting in a loss of Rs 41 crore.

Moreover, with the recent inauguration of the Cauvery Stage V project, aimed at providing water to 110 villages, operational costs have increased by an additional Rs 40 crore per month. This pushed BWSSB’s total monthly expenditure to Rs 210 crore, widening the monthly deficit to Rs 81 crore, Manohar highlighted.

The BWSSB president cited several reasons for the financial stress. He said that from November 2014 to March 2024, the electricity tariff has increased by 107.3 percent. During the same period, operating expenses have increased by 122.5 percent, while salary and pension costs have increased by 61.3 percent in the last decade. According to BWSSB estimates, the annual revenue loss is estimated at Rs 972 crore, which is likely to rise to Rs 4,860 crore in the next five years.

BWSSB officials warned that failure to revise the water charges could delay the implementation of new water and sewerage projects required for the growing city, as well as the daily operations of maintenance and repair, adoption of smart water management systems and continuous water supply services. And poor financial health makes it difficult for the board to secure loans and grants from international financial institutions.

“BWSSB has implemented measures to reduce unaccounted water and increase water connections. However, these efforts have not reduced the revenue-expenditure gap, requiring revision of water rates to sustain operations and improve services,” Manohar said. He added, “A growing city needs world-class facilities. To achieve this, we must implement high technology and innovative solutions for water and sanitation services. The rate revision is necessary to maintain BWSSB’s ability to serve Bengaluru, a city renowned globally for its growth and dynamism.”

He also said that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is expected to call a meeting in the coming days to discuss the rate revision proposal.

In 2014, the BWSSB had revised the tariff for domestic consumers to Rs 7/Kl at the lowest slab and Rs 45/Kl at the highest slab. Earlier this rate was Rs 6/kg and Rs 36/kg respectively. For non-domestic consumers, the current tariff is Rs 50/kg in the minimum slab and Rs 87/kg in the maximum slab. Earlier they were Rs 36/kg and Rs 60/kg respectively. Currently, Rs 56 per month is fixed for domestic consumers. For non-domestic consumers, the fixed minimum charge is Rs 500.

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