Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Tuesday claimed that Goa will be the first State in the country to provide 16,000 litres of free water per month to its citizens.
Sawant announced the ‘save water to get free water’ scheme providing 16,000 litres of water for free per month to every household in the State, which will commence with effect from September 1.
“Free water implies zero water charges, zero meter rent and in effect zero bill. Sewerage bill has also been reduced to zero. Nearly 60 per cent consumers from Goa will get zero bill as a result of the scheme,” Sawant adding that people will be reducing their water usage or use water judiciously to fit into the free water bracket. Water shortage issue is also likely to be resolved as a result of this, he said in his address to the people of Goa.
The Chief Minister said as per the assurance given in the State budget 2021-2022, small time entrepreneurs and restaurants will now be shifted from industrial to commercial category for water billing purposes. “This will greatly benefit small entrepreneurs and restaurants,” he said.
Sawant further added that the free water scheme will also benefit people staying in buildings and complexes as the water consumption of one meter will be divided by the total number of flats in the complex.
The Chief Minister had announced of 16 cubic metres of free tap water during his Independence Day speech. He also called upon the people to join the “save water to get free water” campaign.
Sawant also announced that the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for defaulting water consumers has been extended by another two months.
PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar had also said that nearly 1.5 lakh households in the State will benefit from 16,000 litres free tap water per month.
In March last year, the PWD had hiked the water tariffs by five per cent. Domestic consumers who were using water up to 15 cubic metres were charged Rs 3.5 per cubic metre as against earlier Rs 2.5 per cubic metre while, those consuming water between 16 cubic metres and 25 cubic metres were charged Rs 9 per cubic metre and the tariff for consumers using more than 50 cubic metres were charged Rs 25 per cubic metre.
However, with the decision to provide 16 cubic metres of free tap water to consumers, the tariffs would be slightly revised, the PWD had said even as the detailed scheduled was not immediately made available.
