New BBMP wards have to pay for water

New BBMP wards have to pay for water
Ashwini Y S | TNN

Bangalore: Want drinking water? Then pay up for the long-pending Greater Bangalore Water and Sanitary Project (GBWASP) user contribution, the deadline for which ended in 2005. When and if you do pay, you’ll have to shell out an additional Rs 2,500 as penalty.
The BWSSB is all set to supply drinking water to 72 wards of the erstwhile seven CMCs and one TMC — now part of Greater Bangalore — by November-end. About 100 mld of water, which will be pumped from three pumping stations in T K Halli, Harohalli and Tataguni, will be supplied to these wards.
The wards will now have service stations and kiosks to pay various bills. The only glitch is that only 20% of consumers have paid the user fee, making it difficult for the board to supply water.
BWSSB chairman Latha Krishna Rao told The Times of India that works on enhancing the capacity of the existing pump stations, which pump 270 mld of water, were almost over.
She said works were initiated in January this year and were slated for completion in July, but were delayed due to technical hurdles.
Here, a project which would cost over Rs 100 crore if new pipelines were laid, is being completed with Rs 12 crore as the board opted for capacity enhancement at pump stations. The BWSSB is also getting nodal approval to set up sub-divisions in these areas by the end of November. Consumers who have not paid the user contribution should make the payment with a fine of Rs 2,500 at the Syndicate Bank. They should also pay the water board the meter cost, which ranges between Rs 550 and Rs 800, apart from the additional fee if the building is more than two-storeyed. The fee here is Rs 80 per sqmt if it’s a residential house, while it’s Rs 120 per sqmt for commercial buildings.
Highlights
BWSSB to supply water to 72 wards adjoining the core area by November-end. Total project cost: Rs 12 crore. An additional 100 mld will be pumped for this purpose, making it 370 mld in toto.
Consumers who haven’t paid the GBWASP should remit it with a fine of Rs 2,500 at the Syndicate Bank at the earliest.
Consumers living in site dimension 20x30 sqft exempted from GBWASP.
GBWASP cost ratio
30x40 sqft houses: Rs 5,000. 40x60 sqft houses: Rs 10,000. 50x80 sqft houses: Rs 15,000.