BMC to slash water rate for Shahpur, Bhiwandi villages

The civic body wants to slash water charges for villagers of Shahpur and Bhiwandi. The reason: the villagers lost their lands when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) laid pipelines to bring water to Mumbai.

The civic body wants to slash water charges for villagers of Shahpur and Bhiwandi. The reason: the villagers lost their lands when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) laid pipelines to bring water to Mumbai.

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A proposal to revise the rates at which the water is being supplied to the 102 villages in two talukas will be tabled in the civic general body meeting on Thursday.

Currently, the BMC charges the villagers Rs 8 for supplying 1,000 litres of treated water. For the same amount, the civic body charges Rs 3.50 from housing societies and other residential complexes.

In the early 1940s, when the BMC had commissioned Tansa and Modak Sagar dams, these villages had objected to the laying of pipelines in their areas. At that time, the civic body promised them some share of water.

Hence, the villages get 130 million litres of water per day. The villagers pay Rs 4 for per 1,000 litres of untreated water.

“The slums in the city get water supply at Rs 2.25 per 1,000 litres. So why should these villagers pay exorbitant rates?” said Shewale.

According to the proposal, the revised rates are Rs 1 for untreated water and Rs 2.25 for treated water.

The corporators of the general body are of the opinion that these villages are extremely poor and it is unfair on the part of the civic body to supply water to them at high rates.