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Household water bills worsen misery, while lawmakers owe Rs 13 million
View(s):By Chrishanthi Christopher
Water bills will rise by 127.4% for more than two million homes, compounding an unprecedented rise in the costs of living for Sri Lankans.
Just last week, higher electricity tariffs were announced by the Ceylon Electricity Board.
A gazette notification on revised water charges published midnight Saturday, will be effective from September 1.
National Water Supply and Drainage Board assistant general manager Mr Piyal Premanatha said that the increase will not apply to schools and places of worship.
Consumers will have to pay more for water from September 1. Pic by Eshan Fernando
The NWSDB has 2.8 million connections of which 2.6 million (92%) are domestic users.
Records from the board show that 60% of the 2.6 million users use less than 15 units, or 15,000 litres a month.
As such, an average user who gets a Rs. 310 bill will have to pay Rs. 705, an increase of Rs. 395 a month.
He explained that the water use part of the charges was increased by 70% and the service charge was raised in keeping with water use varying from slabs, ranging from 0 to 25 units.
Accordingly, those using 0-5 units will pay a service charge of Rs. 50, from 6-10 units, Rs. 65 and 11-15 units, Rs. 70.
Samurdhi recipients and tenants of high rises built under the Colombo beautification project will not have any increase in their water charges, but will have to pay a higher service charge of Rs 50.
Mr Premanatha said a programme will be implemented to facilitate overdue payments.
He said Rs. 5 billion is outstanding.
The delay in reading of water meters, issuing of bills, and recovering of payments during the coronavirus disease pandemic had led to the accumulation. However, the overdues also include Rs. 13 million owed by 45 former and incumbent Members of Parliament and ministers who had not the paid bills of their official and private residences for years.
The board is in talks with ministry secretaries to recover the overdues. Representations have been made to the Speaker.
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