You will have to pay more for water

The budget presented by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Subodh Kumar on Tuesday has proposed to hike water and sewerage charges to between 14 and 57%, with annual hikes of up to 8%.

After a hike in rail and taxi fares, prepare to shell out more for water supply.

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The budget presented by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Subodh Kumar on Tuesday has proposed to hike water and sewerage charges to between 14 and 57%, with annual hikes of up to 8%.

This means that a family of five that consumes 750 litres a day and is paying Rs79 a month at Rs3.50 per 1,000 litres, will now have to spend Rs90 at the rate of Rs4. And the cost will rise every year.

Kumar presented the civic body's biggest-ever budget of Rs26,581.02 crore, a whopping Rs5,500 crore increase over last year. It seeks to expand the civic body's sources of income, and has proposed a sustained plan for almost every major civic department.

Kumar justified the hike in water charges by saying it is essential for the long-term needs of the megapolis. "If we have to meet the future water demands of the city, more expenditure towards water supply is essential. The only way to sustain this is to have an immediate revision in water fares," he said.