Pune Municipal Corporation offers free water meters to citizens

PUNE: Citizens, who wish monitor their water usage, can benefit from a special scheme offered by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), where its administration will offer meters free of cost to the citizens from September.
"The aim behind giving the meters free is to create awareness about judicious use of water. Commercial organizations in the city have been using this system.We want to promote it in residential areas too," V G Kulkarni, head of PMC's water department, told TOI.
He said those who wish to measure their water usage can contact the civic body. Civic officials will reach their places and fit the meters. Each meter costs Rs 6,000.
According to data, around 150 litres of water (nearly six buckets per person) is used by a citizen every day. The administration charges Rs 900 as water charges in the property tax from the residential users.
There are plans to roll out a metered water supply system. The civic body will start constructing water tanks under the 24X7 supply scheme. As many as 103 tanks will be built across the city under the scheme.
"Once the meter is installed and the rate is fixed, water charges will be collected according to the amount of water used. The amount may increase or decrease as per the use," another official said.
Other key components of the project include laying of a 1,600 km pipelines and installation of meters, the civic officials said, adding that the work is expected to be completed by 2020-21. The civic general body had, in February, approved a 12% hike in the water tax for the next fiscal. The tax will rise by 15% every financial year thereafter till the 2020-21 fiscal.
As per estimates, the 24X7 water supply project is expected to be put into action over the next five years at a cost of Rs 2,800 crore and will ensure that every household in the city receives round-the-clock metered water supply and residents make payment according to usage.