Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday, August 22, hinted at a hike in water tariff in Bengaluru soon. He said a hike in water tariff was inevitable due to the financial difficulties faced by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
Mr. Shivakumar said that BWSSB had not increased water tariff in the city for the past 12-13 years. “The BWSSB is struggling to manage its finances, making a water tariff hike unavoidable, regardless of any opposition,” he said. “Without a tariff hike, the BWSSB may collapse, making it impossible to support its employees or even pay its electricity bills,” Mr. Shivakumar argued, adding that there was a need to invest more on a larger water distribution network to supply water to Bengaluru’s growing population of 1.40 crore.
Over the last decade, BWSSB proposed a tariff hike multiple times, but the State government did not approve the same. The last time, BWSSB proposed tariff revision in 2020, it asked for a hike of around 35%. However, the exact rate of the hike and the segments it will apply to have not yet been determined,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the proposed tariff hike. “Water is a basic necessity, not a luxury! Yet, our Dy. CM and Bengaluru City Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar is planning to turn it into a costly commodity with his proposed hike in water tariff. This potential financial burden on the common man is a result of the Congress’ ongoing fiscal mismanagement,” said BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on social media.
No privatisation of water supply
Mr. Shivakumar assured that the government would never agree to any proposal of privatising the water supply in the city and said that BWSSB would always remain a public utility. “There have been numerous proposals for privatisation, including offers from companies like Adani, but I have rejected them,” he said. He recalled that similar proposals were made during the stints of J.H. Patel and S.M. Krishna. “We rejected the privatisation proposal back then, and we will continue to do so,” he affirmed.
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