Representational Image | Photo: PTI
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has increased the water tax with effect from Saturday. The new tariff rate will result in a three times hike for certain categories of customers.
For 1000 litre (1 kilo litre), the earlier tariff rate varied from Rs 4.40 to Rs 12 for different categories. The latest hike of 1 paise will increase the tax to a range from Rs 14.44 to Rs 22 for 1000 litre of water.
The customers who belong to Below Poverty Line are excluded from the tariff revision.
The water tariff was increased for the last time in 2016. Two years ago, the state government had decided to hike the tariff rate by 5 per cent annually.
Bill goes up from Rs 176 to Rs 576
An ordinary household uses at least 40 kilo litres of water within two months. At present, the water charge for these households will be Rs 176. The new tariff hike will make it Rs 576.
The water authority spends Rs 23 for purifying one kilo litre of water. It had asked the government to hike the tax due to financial constraints. However, there were opposition to the proposal within the LDF itself.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJP have decided to strengthen the protests against the fuel cess announced in the state budget.
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