Residents pay tax, but don’t get water

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 28.04.2018

Residents in most of the added areas of the city do not receive Metrowater supply but they have been paying water taxes since 2011. The added areas - Ambattur, Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Tondiarpet, Sholinganallur and Perungudi – don’t have piped water supply even though work on laying underground pipeline has been completed in many parts.

Residents of special and multi-storey buildings have shied away from applying for water connections due to the Infrastructure Development Charge (IDC) levied on them. Over the past decade, the real estate boom in added areas has seen individual homes replaced by multi-storeyed buildings. Owing to the infrastructure facilities such as water supply and sewerage system provided by Metrowater, residents in the added areas are asked to pay IDC as an initial charge.

Activist V Santhanam said, “Residents are not applying for a new connection as Metrowater is demanding the payment of IDC. The charge has been made mandatory without even consulting the public. ” IDC is calculated based on the property tax paid by each household and is about three times higher than the amount paid by old city residents for a connection.

Padi Kuppam, Mogappair resident R Vijaykumar said he had not paid water charges levied by Metrowater for the past three years. Vijay said, “Why must I pay the water charge when Metrowater is not supplying me water? I will pay when there is running water in my house tap.” Work on laying underground water pipelines in Padi Kuppam was completed three years ago. Metrowater charges users ₹50 per month as water charge. WhenTOI asked why a resident should pay water tax when there was no supply, Metrowater MD Satyabrata Sahoo directed the question to a chief engineer who chose to remain anonymous. And this is what he had to say: “Metrowater levies water charges and sewer tax in houses that fall under corporation. If the residents are paying property tax, then a percentage of that will have to be paid for water and sewerage services provided by Metrowater.