In a move that has caused great disappointment for the residents of Chromepet, Keezhkattalai and Pallavaram, the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration has rejected the resolution passed by the Pallavapuram municipality seeking to slash the Under Ground Drainage rates.
In July last year, the Pallavapuram municipality passed a unanimous resolution to reduce the UGD rates from Rs. 150 to Rs.100. The resolution was sent to the Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Chepauk.
When social activist V. Santhanam filed an RTI petition seeking to know the action taken by the administration on the resolution, it was revealed that the resolution had been rejected. The Commissioner of Municipal Administration had written to the Commissioner of Pallavapuram Municipality seeking details about the UGD connections, amount collected and the expenses incurred in offering the service.
Replying to it, the Commissioner of Pallavapuram Municipality said that the charges for a total of 15,000 UGD connections amounted to Rs.270 lakh.
The running costs, including expenses incurred for periodical operation maintenance, de-silting of manholes, pumping station maintenance, electrical consumption and payment towards Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board for usage of sewerage treatment plant, amounted Rs.280 lakh.
This expenditure does not include loan annuity.
In the letter addressed to Santhanam by the Commissioner of Municipal Administration, these facts were presented to explain why the UGD charges could not be reduced.
According to a data sheet that Santhanam received as part of the response to his RTI plea, the Pallavaram municipality has the highest UGD rates in the domestic (residential houses and apartments) sector, among municipalities in the State.
Santhanam said the municipality levied Rs.150 per month as UGD charges as against Rs.60 charged by the Corporation of Chennai.
“Even the residents of Besant Nagar and Boat Club pay only Rs.60 as UGD charges every month. The residents have paid more than Rs.20,000 as deposit, including connection charges.”
Token fastOn June 21, the Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram convened an emergency meeting, where it was decided that it would go on a token fast on July 27 in Chromepet.
“Instead of charging a flat rate, UGD charges for houses should be computed on a square foot basis,” the federation members said.
