Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Tuesday staged a protest in Chandigarh against the recently announced hike in water tariff. In a video shared by news agency ANI, protesters can be seen raising slogans and holding placards. As the protesters began marching towards the municipal corporation office, police resorted to using water cannons to disperse the demonstrators.
The Chandigarh administration has announced that residents will have to pay 1.5 to 2.5 times more for water from April 1. According to the administration, the rates will vary from ₹3 per kilolitre (kl) to ₹20 per kl depending on the consumption. Currently, the rates range between ₹2 per kl and ₹8 per kl.
The residents falling in the 0-15 kl slab will have to pay ₹3 per kl instead of the current ₹2 per kl, while the residents falling under the 16-30 kl, the rates have been increased from ₹4 to ₹6 per kl. The tariff for residents falling under the 31 kl to 60 kl category will have to pay ₹10 per kl instead of ₹6 per kl.
{{/usCountry}}The residents falling in the 0-15 kl slab will have to pay ₹3 per kl instead of the current ₹2 per kl, while the residents falling under the 16-30 kl, the rates have been increased from ₹4 to ₹6 per kl. The tariff for residents falling under the 31 kl to 60 kl category will have to pay ₹10 per kl instead of ₹6 per kl.
{{/usCountry}}The biggest hike has been imposed for the consumers with most consumption - above 60 kl - which will cost cost ₹20 per kl instead of ₹8 per kl. Meanwhile, there is no change in tariff for commercial, industrial and institutional consumers.
The last water tariff hike that the UT had seen was in 2011. In 2021, after the MC elections, there was a discussion on the water tariff hike, however AAP and Congress both had voiced strong opposition towards it.
Several opposition parties and residents are opposing the administration's move on water tariff hike.
Also read: Chandigarh MC House meeting: Development agendas take a backseat amid furore over water tariff hike
Demanding resignation of the mayor, Chandigarh AAP president Prem Garg said has said that they “strongly oppose the hike and will hold protests.” He had added that "the mayor had assured the MC House that no hike in rates will be allowed. The administration should concentrate on the water going waste due to misuse and unauthorised connections.”