Noida: Water tariff hiked by up to 25%, officials call increase ‘negligible’
Noida authority officials said that without an increase in tariff, it will be difficult for them to meet the expenditure of the water department. The Noida authority had last revised the water rates on July 1, 2013. Before that, it had revised the water tariff in 2003.
The Noida authority on Wednesday increased the water tariff, by 10% to 25% for different categories of consumers. This will be effective from April 1, 2018, officials said.
The authority has increased the water tariff by up to 10% of the old rates (that were effective from July 1, 2013) for consumers living in Shramik Kunj houses, low-income group flats and 81 villages. The water tariff has been increased by up to 25% for residential, industrial, institutional and commercial consumers.
The authority officials said that without an increase in tariff, it will be difficult for them to meet the expenditure of the water department.
The authority has hired Ernst and Young, a private agency, to prepare a report detailing the extent by which the water tariff should be hiked so that revenue can be increased. However, the private agency is yet to submit its final report.
“We did not wait for the agency report because it will take a while and we had wanted to increase the tariff from April 1, 2018. We have increased the tariff in a manner so that it does not affect our consumers much. The hike is too little to trouble our consumers,” SC Arora, senior project engineer of the Noida authority, said.
Currently, the authority charges ₹175 per month from a consumer living in a middle-income group (MIG) flat; ₹210 per month from a consumer living in a high-income group flat owner; and ₹260 from a consumer living in a duplex flat. An owner of a 200 square metre plot pays ₹250 per month and the authority charges ₹470 per month from the owner of a 350 square metre plot.
The Noida authority had on July 1, 2013, hiked the drinking water rates by up to 75%. Before that, it had revised the water tariff in 2003.
According to officials, Noida is expected to have a population of 21 lakh by 2021, up from its current population of 16 lakh.
The total present demand for water in Noida is 332 MLD (million litres per day). The estimated drinking water demand in Noida by 2021 will be 590 MLD. The Noida authority also procures groundwater, and mixes it with the Ganga water supply, in order to meet the demand. The authority supplies 56% Ganga water and 44% groundwater.