Chandigarh AAP announced a strike due to the water tariff hike

The announcement of the water tariff hike startled the people of Chandigarh city. The water supply rates increased from 2rs per kiloliters to 3rs per kiloliters. That means the residents have to pay 1.5 to 2.5 times the previous rates. AAP had announced the strike, followed by Congress to highlight the water supply issue in the Chandigarh city.

In the press conference interview, AAP president Prem Garg said, “We will hold a demonstration near the hotel and then walk to the MC office where the protest will end.”

The AAP had raised the issue regarding water tariffs in front of the BJP councilors in the MC house. However, the councilors had stuck to the house meeting agenda (Chandigarh to remain an union territory). The AAP came out of the house meeting with injustice and agony. It was hard to digest that the MC house was prioritizing other issues than putting light on the water supply concerns in the city.

Reasons behind the water tariff hike 

The Municipal Corporation had announced the water tariff hike in September 2020 that remained on hold till 31st march. Citing the pandemic, MC had postponed increasing the water tariffs for the last two years.

 According to them, below are the reasons behind the hiked water supply rate.

• The water for Chandigarh comes from two sources: Surface Water from Bhakra Main Canal and Deep bore tube wells(from underground). The MC has to lift water from the Bhakra canal, and Rs 130 to 140 crore is spent on electricity alone. The high cost of fetching the water is an apple of discord towards the hiked water tariff.
• Moreover, with the continuous drawing of underground water tube wells, the city is facing depletion with time. 
• This year the Chandigarh population has increased to 11,91,000. The MC highlights the need for water supply due to increased residents in the last year.

The MC has segregated the rate based on the consumption level of water.

• Residents who consume 15 Kiloliter [kL] have to pay 3rs.
• Residents who consume between 16 to 30Kiloliter [kL] have to pay 6rs.
• Residents who consume between 31 to 60 Kiloliter [kL] have to pay 12rs.
• Residents who consume above 60 Kiloliter [kL] have to pay 24rs.

AAP group, which won the assembly election, is now eying the local body elections. They have also assigned the task to Jarnail Singh to keep the check on MC polls. Jarnail Singh, an AAP member, has shown commendable performance recently in Chandigarh MC polls.

According to the source, AAP has won all eight assembly seats that fall in the area of Patiala Corporation, 13 of the 14 seats that fall in Ludhiana Corporation, nine of 11 in Amritsar Corporation, and four of nine in Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.

Wrapping up:

The water tariff hike issue is a current concern for the people in Chandigarh city. AAP has decided to resolve the issue by conducting Dharna at the DC office or Raj Bhavan. The action can bring obstacles for the BJP party in the MC. Local people hope for a price reduction in water tariffs due to the strike.