Water bills set to swell as MC planning sewerage cess hike

Cash-strapped MC looking to raise cess from 20% to 30%; agenda to come up during House meeting tomorrow

- Mandeep Kaur Narula

CHANDIGARH: After slashing the sewerage cess to 20% last year, the cash-strapped Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) is now planning to raise the levy again, increasing it to 30%.

The move, which will result in higher water bills for consumers, is set to be discussed and approved in the upcoming General House meeting on February 17. The sewerage cess charged depends on a consumer's water bill. For example, a ₹2,500 water bill currently incurs a cess of ₹500 (20% of the bill), making the total ₹3,000.

Under the new proposal, the same bill will rise to ₹3,250 due to a ₹750 cess (30% of the bill).