Bengaluru: After electricity, brace for 12% water tariff hike

BENGALURU: In what could turn out to be a double whammy for Bengalureans, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is proposing to increase water tariff by 12%, close on the heels of an average hike of 5.4% effected in electricity charges.
BWSSB is seeking a revision of tariff for six years and is likely to get the government’s go-ahead, given that its expenditure exceeds income. Presently, domestic consumers pay Rs 7 per kilo litre (kl) for up to 8,000 litres of water; Rs 11 per kl from 8,001 to 25,000 litres; Rs 25 per kl from 25,001 to 50,000 litres; and Rs 45 per kl for 50,001 litres and above.
35% price hike proposal was turned down
A BWSSB official said the utility’s monthly revenue is about Rs 115 crore in the form of water bills, among others. About Rs 70-80 crore goes towards electricity bills, Rs 30 crore for maintenance of water supply and sewerage networks and the remaining towards salaries and other expenses.