Noida authority plans to install water metres in over 79,000 households
The new technology will enable the authority to charge the consumer on the basis of consumption, said officials, and will need installation of water metres.
Aiming to check wastage of drinking water, the Noida authority is planning to install water metres at over 79,000 households in the city. In its 199th board meeting on Tuesday, the authority sanctioned a budget of ₹99.70 crore for work on a multi-jet water flow technology aimed at improving water flow to each consumer, said authority officials. The authority will initially install water meters in households of 10% of the total 79,210 consumers, they added.
The new technology will enable the authority to charge the consumer on the basis of consumption, said officials, and will need installation of water metres. Bills will be generated on the basis of consumption of the water with the help of these metres, and officials hope this will deter residents from wasting water.
“We aim to not only check wastage of water but also improve services to the consumers,” said Avinash Tripathi officer on special duty, Noida authority.
As of now, the authority levies fixed charges on consumers on the basis of the size of a household. However, once the water metres are installed, the authority will impose a variable charge on the basis of consumption and a fixed charge, said officials.
The authority is planning to hire a private agency that will be responsible for installing the meters and taking care of operations and maintenance for 10 years. While the authority has not fixed a deadline for the scheme, it hopes to roll out the plan fully by 2021.
Once the metres are installed, the authority may also revise the water charges, said officials. On May 3, 2020, the authority had increased water rates by 7.5% amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, facing flak from residents who were demanding relief in bills.
As per old rates, the authority charges ₹175 per month from a middle-income group (MIG) flat owner; ₹ 210 per month from a high-income group flat owner; and, ₹260 from a duplex flat owner. An owner of a 200 square metre (sqm) plot paid ₹250 per month, while the authority charged ₹470 per month from the owner of a 350 sqm plot. Beginning April 1, 2020, each consumer needs to pay 7.5% more, said officials. Usually, consumers pay their bills annually at the end of fiscal in April.
