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Bengaluru BWSSB revises water tariff: Relief for apartments and PGs after April hike
BWSSB has reduced water tariffs for apartments and PG accommodations, moving away from volume-based billing to a system considering the number of households.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which had revised its water tariffs in April after nearly a decade, has now made fresh changes, reducing tariffs specifically for apartments and Paying Guest (PG) accommodations.
According to an order accessed by Deccan Herald, the tariff calculation for apartments will no longer be based solely on the volume of water consumed. Instead, it will factor in the number of houses in each complex.
Earlier, apartment buildings consuming more water were automatically placed in higher slabs, leading to inflated bills. Residents had argued that the system was arbitrary and failed to consider the number of households sharing the supply.
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With the new framework, most apartment complexes are expected to see reduced bills. However, smaller complexes with fewer than 200 houses could face higher charges due to the introduction of a new slab.
Under the revised tariff, each household in an apartment will be allotted 200 litres per day, charged at a lower rate of ₹32 per kilolitre. Consumption beyond this limit will be billed at ₹55 per kilolitre, DH report further added.
Meanwhile, the BWSSB has also rolled back the steep sanitary charges levied on PG accommodations during the April revision. At that time, owners complained of sudden increases ranging from five to seven times the earlier rates. Responding to the appeals, BWSSB has now slashed sanitary charges by more than 50%.
For example, PGs with more than 20 rooms were charged ₹7,500 after April’s revision, but will now pay ₹3,000. Previously, the charge was fixed at ₹1,000.
The changes are expected to bring relief to thousands of apartment residents and PG operators across the city, even as water usage and tariff policies remain a contentious issue in Bengaluru.
