Inflated water bills: Kalka NGO to move court

Kalka, November 21

Shiwalik Vikas Manch, an NGO, has decided to file a contempt of court suit against the Public Health Engineering Department, Haryana, in case the department does not withdraw the inflated water bills.

VK Bansal, the president of the NGO, said on November15, 2015, a legal notice had been served to the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, and the Engineer in Chief of the department. He added that a PIL in 2013 was filed in the High Court for providing adequate water supply to the residents of Kalka and Pinjore. The court had directed the department to supply 135 litres of water per person per day as fixed under public health norms. However, the department was supplying only 101 litres of water per person, which is a violation of the court directive.

The legal notice further stated that the department had even doubled the water bill of the subscribers who have not installed water meters.

It may be mentioned here that the department has installed water meters to check wastage. However, the question of wastage does not arise when the water supply was inadequate. — OC