SHIMLA: The residents of Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla are reeling under shock as the newly privatised water management system has begun issuing allegedly inflated water bills.
The responsibility of billing has recently been handed over to Suez India, a private company now overseeing water meter readings and billing across the city.
Instead of the usual monthly charges of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, many residents have received bills amounting to lakhs of rupees, with no apparent explanation.
The worst hit include a retired school principal from the Summerhill area. Karam Chand Sharma, who has lived in the locality for decades, was stunned to receive a bill of Rs 5.39 lakh.
“We usually pay between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 a month, and all our payments are up to date. I don’t understand how this can happen,” he said, visibly distressed as he queued outside the water company office to file a complaint.
Meter reading errors blamed for massive overbilling
Suez India has acknowledged the complaints and claimed it is actively correcting erroneous bills.
According to the General Manager, Rajesh Kashyap, staff have been directed to address such issues immediately upon receiving a complaint.
“Any inflated bills reported by residents are being rechecked, and corrected bills are being issued promptly,” he said.
To avoid future discrepancies, the company recently announced a new policy requiring meter readers to take a photograph of each meter reading as evidence.
However, even with these measures, reports of incorrect billing continue to emerge. A similar case occurred in Kanlog, where a building owner was issued a Rs 4 lakh water bill.
After the matter was escalated to local ward councillor Alok Pathania, an investigation revealed the actual bill was only Rs 145.
Public backlash, political pressure mount
The water billing fiasco has triggered public anger and political uproar. Several councillors in the Municipal Corporation have raised the issue in the city council, demanding accountability and transparency in the newly privatised system.
“This is not just a technical glitch, but a failure of governance. You can’t outsource public utilities and then leave citizens to suffer,” said one councillor during a heated session.
With more cases coming to light daily, the trust between the residents and the new private operator is rapidly eroding. For now, long queues and rising frustration mark the offices of Suez India, as Shimla’s citizens scramble to correct bills they never expected to receive.
TNR News Network
