The drive to collect water charge arrears from 191 government offices in the city, which started in March this year, and intensified in the past two weeks, has yielded results with several defaulting institutions making part payments.
In the past four months, the Kerala Water Authority, which had threatened the defaulters with termination of water connections, could collect Rs.4.2 crore of the Rs.58 crore arrears due to it.
A senior KWA official told The Hindu that it was hopeful of realising at least Rs.30 crore by the end of this year. In the last three days, piped water supply was stopped to 14 institutions including Indian Institute of Diabetes, Health Centres at Mannanthala, Pangappara, Corporation-run comfort stations, government-run hostels, and quarters of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. Supply was restored to some of them after payment and others after getting assurance on payment, the official said.
The Kerala University, which has to pay around Rs.5 crore as dues, last week remitted Rs.50 lakh and has promised to make monthly payments. “We will give concessions to institutions making one-time payment. The revenue realisation will help us fund water projects stalled due to lack of funds. We can also take up new schemes,” the official said. However, sources said the utility was yet to collect arrears from the police and tourism departments and Raj Bhavan, three major defaulters.
A similar drive last year to collect arrears from private firms, majority of them hotels, helped realise Rs.68 crore. “Around 30 private firms have gone to court. We have to collect another Rs.30 crore from the private sector,” said the official.
