After power bills, now inflated water bills shock residents of Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Close on the heels of the huge electricity bills that citizens have been receiving, they are in for another rude shock — a massive hike in monthly water bills. While in some cases the bill has doubled, in other cases it has jumped by almost four times!

While the Congress government has rolled out its first guarantee of free bus travel for women and is making preparations for the rollout of the other guarantees, citizens are finding themselves having to pay through their nose for civic utilities. Several of them complained that the government is giving certain facilities for free and on the one hand and recovering it from them through other means on the other hand.

For instance, a resident of Vyalikaval, who had received a bill for Rs 930 last month, has been given a bill for Rs 3,000 this month. The same is the case with several other household on the same road.

Muthu and Jalamma, residents of Vyalikaval.

“We used to get bill of around Rs 2,500-3,000, now it has been hiked by Rs 1,000. The officials do not give a proper response”, said Muthu, a local. “Now that the government is giving 200 units of free power, they are charging more for water. Our bills have gone up by Rs 1,000-2,000. Nobody asked for these freebies”, said Saravana.

Jalamma, another resident said, “I used to get bill of about Rs 300, now it is over Rs 900. Where should we go? We don’t want anything for free, let them just give what is due to us”.

Saravana (mustard coloured shirt) with other residents of the locality with the inflated water bills.

Angry residents complained that in the name of providing free schemes, the government is imposing a huge burden on them. “If we ask the BWSSB officials, they say it could be because of leakage. When asked how all houses on the same street can get inflated bills, they said they will check. So far, they have not sorted out the issue”, the residents of Vyalikaval said.