Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Water connections at Rs. 100 for poor households soon

CHENNAI: Water connections at Rs.100 each for consumers living in dwelling units whose area is less than 500 square feet will be provided from this month-end.

The announcement on the reduction in the water connection charges for such houses was made in the Assembly in April this year.

A Chennai Metrowater official said guidelines for obtaining water connections under this category were being formulated.

With the Metrowater Board being expected to approve the guidelines soon, water connections to the consumers belonging to economically weaker sections would be given later this month.

Metrowater increased water connection charges in February this year. While charges for houses with plinth area up to 1,000 sq.ft was fixed at Rs.5,000, for residential buildings with an area between 1,000 sq.ft and 2,000 sq.ft it was Rs. 7,500 for the connections.

The water agency receives 30 applications every day for new water and sewer connections, the official said.

At present, it is providing sewer connections to economically backward consumers at a charge of Rs.100 each.

The official said that about 30,000 sewer connections to such consumers had been provided since the introduction of the category in 2002. Of this, 800 sewer connections were issued in the fiscal year that ended in March 2008.

Metrowater receives about 10 applications daily to obtain sewer connections in the category.

Those with an annual income of Rs.18,000 were eligible to get sewer connection under the category, he said.

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