Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): About 40 per cent of the population of Bhopal, which lives in newly developed areas, still depend on their own water sources instead of water supplied by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The 40 per cent population resides in 1,000 private residential colonies. These 1000 private colonies depend on their own sources of water as Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not yet given half-inch water supply connections (individual connections) to the residents. These colonies have not been handed over to BMC. About 150 private colonies have taken bulk connection and so the residents here end up paying higher water cess.
The municipal body has been claiming that it can only give bulk connections and not half-inch individual connections in the colonies that have not been handed over to BMC. These colonies are mostly located in the outskirts of the city.
Residents are upset because BJP in its manifesto released for civic body election had promised to provide individual water connection in colonies that have not been handed over to BMC. Two years on the BJP-ruled municipal body is still to fulfill the poll promise.
“In 2014, BMC stopped allotment of individual connections with introduction of Narmada water supply. Through bulk connections, BMC earned crores of rupees,” said New Colonies Welfare Association president Sunil Upadhayay. And for this reason, the residential colonies along the Hoshangabad Road are still deprived of individual water connection.
As far as bulk connection is concerned, water tax rate comes to around Rs 16 kilo litre per day, which comes to be Rs 480 per month while it is just half, about Rs 200 kilo litre per day for individual connection.
Vox populi
Will write to mayor
Former mayor Alok Sharma: Builders and developers charge more from residents of private colonies in the name of bulk connection. I will write to the mayor to provide individual water connections in private colonies when they are ready to pay tax to BMC.
No plan for individual connection
BMC superintendent engineer (water supply) Udit Garg: At present, we do not have any plan for sanctioning individual water connections in private colonies that have not been handed over to the civic body.
Crores spent
BMC leader of Opposition Shabista Zaki: Crores of rupees have been spent on Narmada water project in 2012 but residents of private colonies developed along Hoshangabad Road are deprived of Narmada water supply as BMC has not given them individual connections. Recently, BMC has passed a tender of Rs 345 crore for maintenance. BJP had promised to allot individual water connections in private colonies but it has not been executed.
