More water you use, more you will pay

BMC plans to put a check on wasteful consumption by installing water meters

MUMBAI: If NY can do it, why not Mumbai? New York is consuming less water today than it did two decades back, in spite of the growth in its population, and the main reason attributed to this is the installation of water meters.

Now Mumbai appears set to take a leaf out of New York’s book. Sources in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) told DNA that water meters will soon be installed in every building, and consumption patterns studied. Eventually, those who consume more water will also have to pay more, just like consumers of electricity.

The BMC has been compiling a computerised data bank of buildings for the past one year. Tenders have also been received from agencies for installing water meters. Once these meters are installed, each building’s usage pattern will be studied for six months. Then alerts will be sent out to residents exceeding the national consumption norm of 135 litres a day per person.

Along with the meters, the BMC is also working out a variable water tariff structure. A daily usage of less than 90 litres per head may continue to get the subsidised rate, whereas ‘comfort’ levels of 90-135 litres and ‘luxury’ levels of over 135 litres may attract higher rates. “Water conservation is possible only if the authorities stop giving subsidised water,” pointed out Rakesh Kumar, head of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

Implementation of the plan may run into problems, however. “Mumbai has mixed kinds of housing. If you go to Girgaum to install individual water meters, you may not be able to figure out which pipe goes where,” said Rakesh Kumar.