Effluent treatment plants set up by government hospitals on the directions of the Lok Adalat in 2008 are running up huge water bills, thanks to the fact that they are billed at non-domestic (commercial) rates.
Hospitals recycle water and use it for flushing toilets and gardening, but end up paying a hefty amount to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) towards water charges. The Board has not responded to several representations requesting that the charges be levied at domestic rates.
Last week, Victoria Hospital authorities made a fervent plea to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene and fix water charges at domestic rates. The chief minister had visited the hospital to inaugurate a high-tech Emergency and Trauma Care Centre.
The five hospitals on the campus of Victoria Hospital – Vani Vilas, Minto, Institute of Nephro Urology, PMSSY and the Trauma Centre – together pay a water bill of nearly Rs. 45 lakh every month.
Medical Superintendent H.S. Satish told The Hindu that apart from recycled water, the hospital also has three borewells and a rainwater harvesting system. “Despite this, our bill is in the range of Rs. 41 lakh and Rs. 45 lakh every month. This is for all the hospitals on Victoria Hospital campus put together. The Board is yet to comply with our request to install different water meters for each hospital,” he said.
Other hospitals It is a similar case with Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, which has eight borewells, a rainwater harvesting system and an effluent treatment plant. Its monthly bill comes to nearly Rs. 15 lakh. Treated water is used for flushing toilets and gardening.
In K.C. General Hospital, the monthly water consumption is over 45 lakh litres. “We pay a monthly bill of nearly Rs. 4 lakh. Although we have two borewells, the yield is very low. We are more or less dependent on Cauvery water for all purposes, except flushing toilet and gardening for which we use treated water. We treat 1.5 lakh litres of water every day. Some of it is used for a BBMP park located adjacent to the hospital,” said Medical Superintendent Manjunath.
‘Can’t change billing’ BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief Kemparamaiah said hospitals are billed at non-domestic rates as per provisions of the BWSSB Act. “If this has to be changed, we need to take a policy decision. The issue has to be placed before the Board. The Act has to be amended with the concurrence of the State government,” he said.
Victoria Hospital*
Three borewells
Effluent treatment plant
Rainwater harvesting system
Monthly bill: Rs. 45 lakh
(* This covers Vani Vilas, Minto, PMSSY, Nephro Urology Institute and Trauma Centre)
Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital
Eight borewells
Effluent treatment plant
Rainwater harvesting system
Monthly bill: Rs. 15 lakh
K.C. General Hospital
Two borewells
Effluent treatment plant
Rainwater harvesting system
Monthly bill: Rs. 4 lakh
