Chandigarh: Pay 30% sewerage cess on water bills

Rajinder Nagarkoti | TNN | Updated: Jun 30, 2019, 7:13 IST

Chandigarh municipal corporation

CHANDIGARH: City residents will have to pay 30% sewerage cess on their water bills as the UT administration has issued a final notification of the amended water supply byelaws-2019.
The general house of the municipal corporation (MC) in June last year approved the imposition of the cess and forwarded it to the administration for the final notification.

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Put parking fee or property tax in its pocket, the municipal corporation of Chandigarh remains broke. Now the 30% sewerage cess on water bills seems too much on paper, more so when sewage and water are known to mix and the civic body is struggling to provide the city with the promised 24-hour water supply because of technical issues at Kajauli. It was a good move to invite objections. Tomorrow will be another cess for sure, for a leaky tap is draining the MC without a sound or splash.

The administration in November last year issued a draft notification and sought suggestions and objections within 15 days. It had received only one objection.
Presently, the MC charges sewerage cess on the number of flush toilets in a house and commercial premises. They charge Rs 10 per flush toilet per month from residential areas and Rs 50 per flush toilet from commercial consumer.
While passing the agenda item in the MC house meeting last year, it had aimed to collect Rs 20 crore from the cess.

In the amended water supply byelaws, the UT has also notified sewer connection charges for release of sewerage connections as well.
In the newly-constructed buildings of Chandigarh Housing Board, flats having covered area up to 500 square feet would be charged Rs 1,000. Those having a covered area above 500 square feet and up to 1,000 square feet Rs 2,000 and those having covered area above 1,000 square feet Rs 4,000.