Karkhana Basti residents upset over high water bills

Secunderabad:  After the residents refused to pay the exorbitant water bills given by the Cantonment Water Board, the water department officials has cut around four water connections three days ago. The decision of the water department came as a shock to as many residents of Karkhana Basti, ward no 3.
After the ward member B Anitha, holding several negotiations with the water department officials, they waived off the previous water bills and asked the residents to pay Rs 4,800. In case of residents fail to do so by August 1, they are also planning to remove more water connections.

When contacted M Rajkumar, superintendent, water and street light department, said, “The water bills of residents goes up to 40,000 when calculated but we have asked the residents to pay Rs 4,800 after they rejected to pay the amount given in the water bills. If in case people refuge to pay the reduced amount by August 1, the residents must pay the original bill amount that ranges from Rs 17,000 to Rs 40,000 or else the officials will remove the water connection, there is no other alternative.”

When the announcement was made to enroll the house number and other details to avail water connection in the year 2015, several residents who are living under sheds paid Rs 3,000 and those living in building paid Rs 8,000 but the residents received water supply only from April 2017. “We have the access to the water connection only from 2017. But, the officials ask us to pay the water bill from 2015 to till date. We were given water bills that amounts Rs 17,000. The actual amount to be paid is Rs 2,475 for the total 15 months. 

Each month they charge Rs 165 from those living under sheds,” said latha, a resident, now after negotiations the water department came down and asked us to pay Rs 4,800 which is also not possible for us. Speaking on the same line, B Anitha, a resident of the area said, “I approached CEO of Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) to look into the issue but they are turning a blind eye and took a stand to cut the water connections if the water bill was not paid.”

BY Sushma Nagaraju