Mumbaikars receive 18 yr old water bill! Pay up, says BMC, threatens to cut supply

Mumbaikars have just suffered a big shock. They have been asked to pay bills that date back 18 years! Considering that it is a daily fight to get proper services even today, the latest bill received from BMC has indeed not just shocked, but also awed the public no end.

The Hydraulic Engineering department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent water bills to many Mumbaikars. 

The BMC has sent October 2000 bill to many consumers. Along with the bill the civic body has sent a letter asking consumers to pay the bill within 15 days or to face water connection cut. Normally, Mumbaikars have to face daily problems regarding water supply or the lack of it.

To add to the woes of residents, there is total confusion about whether the bill was unpaid or it includes other adjustments made by the BMC. As per a DNA report, it is stated that the pending bill amounts are between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000.

Pratibha Surve, a resident of Goregaon west says "I was surprised to see the bill amount when I received it last week of October".

Further, she added that she purchased the house in 2005 and BMC is asking to pay the bill of the year 2000!

Like her, many of the other residents are in shock to see the bill. 

Sandeep Patel, BJP corporator from Goregaon questioned the BMC saying that "Why did the civic body took 18 years to send the pending bills and said that he would raise the matter in the general body of BMC."

As per Hydraulic Engineering department of BMC, before in the year 2000 the water bill was managed manually and not electronically.

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After the year 2000, the civic body started using computer generated bill and thus old pending bill could not be updated into the system.

When asking about the same to the official; a senior official from the Hydraulic Engineering department said "We have just updated all old bills that were not paid despite reminders."

He further said that the consumers who did not pay the bill before the year 2000 are getting the old bill. 

The official also claimed that during these years, the civic body had sent reminders to those consumers who failed to pay the water bill.

However, residents refused the claim.  

According to the official, around Rs, 194 crores of water bills are pending before the year 2000.