Forget free water, an average Goan using 1000 litres of water a day will have to pay double his bill as per the new tariffs announced
The new free water scheme is not applicable for those using more than 16 m3 as they will pay from ₹9/ m3 to ₹15/ m3, which was earlier only ₹5 / m3 and ₹10/m3
SURAJ NANDREKAR/ Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Goemkarponn, in its editorial a few days back, had stated that in the Sawant Raj, nothing comes free and documents in hand now prove how true it is.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant announced up to 16000 litres of water free for domestic consumers (16 m3), implemented today.
In his address to Goans, he said Goa is the first state to give free water, but he failed to explain that if you use more than 16m3, you will have to pay almost 100 p.c more the amount.
This is shocking but true; politicians manipulate things and do not inform about the hidden charges.
Forget free water; if you are using more than 16 m3, you will almost pay double teh amount you paid earlier, the new notification issued by PWD says.
Yes, the free water will benefit people only those who use less than 1000 litres of water.
If you empty 1000 litres of water daily, you may end up paying double the charges of the water bill you paid in the past.
Goemkarponn will now tell you what the hidden charges which the Chief Minister failed to inform you.
The conditions…
The individual domestic consumers consuming water up to 16m3 per month will be exempted from paying water charges, including meter rent w.e.f 01.09.2021.
Domestic consumers consuming more than 16 m3 per month will be billed as per applicable tariff for entire/ full water consumption.
The benefit of free water up to 16m3 will be available for those who have functional water meters.
Common water connected to two or more houses shall continue paying water tariffs for the total consumption as applicable irrespective of the consumption. Free water will not be available for them.
The hike in rates…
While the Chief Minister and teh BJP is going hammer and tongs over the free water scheme, he has failed to inform the price hike.
If you use more than 16m3 or 16000 litres in a month, you will be charged ₹ 3.50 per unit, which was earlier ₹ 2.50. So there is a hike of Rs 1.00 for these consumers, who use more than 16,000 litres as they have to pay for the entire usage.
Secondly, if you use more than 16000 litres of every unit you consume, it would taste like poison as it would cost you a whopping ₹ 9.00 per m3, which was only ₹ 5.00 per meter cube.
There is even more shock further; if you use 25 m3 and above up to 40 m3, you will have to shell out ₹ 15 / m3, which was earlier ₹ 10/ m3.
Above 40 m3-50m3 will be ₹ 15/ m3 (flat for entire usage), which means your total bill will be charged at ₹ 15 / m3 and not slab basis and if your consumption is above 50 m3 ₹ 25/ m3 (flat).
This ₹ 25/ m3 slab never existed for domestic consumers in Goa. The max they had to pay as per the earlier circular was ₹ 15 m/3.
So while CM has been telling Goans he is giving free water, he is, in fact, telling lies to each one of us.
As per PWD engineers, a domestic household uses at least 1000 litres of water, which is 30 m3 per month, and as such, 50 to 60 per cent of the consumers would come in the ₹ 15 / m3 bracket.
While CM says 62 per cent of households will get free water, he fails to understand that not even a single bedroom flat uses 1000 litres a day in Goa.
Even for a business like small restaurants and hotels the tariffs have been increased from ₹ 20/ m3 and ₹ 25 m3 to ₹ 25/ m3 and ₹30 / m3.