Chennai's water and sewer connections online soon

Metrowater looks to implement the project at a cost of Rs. 21.42 crore

Soon, city residents can apply for water and sewer connections online. Keeping pace with the digital age, Chennai Metrowater is gearing up to strengthen its e-governance system.

The agency has roped in KPMG, a consulting firm, to study the requirements to improve the online service and implement comprehensive IT solutions to meet the consumers’ needs and speed up the work.

Chennai Metrowater serves over seven lakh consumers in the expanded city. At present, nearly 10,000 people apply for new connections every year. With Metrowater expanding its piped network to the added areas, the agency has sought to strengthen IT services in the core parts of the city and extend computerised service to the merged localities.

While the software for improving IT services is being run on a trial basis, Metrowater looks to implement the project at a cost of Rs. 21.42 crore with World Bank funds once the firm submits its report in four months.

“The online service for payment of tax and charges is gaining patronage. Over 50 banks were recently roped in for the net banking facility. Once the new e-governance system is in place, we will be able to provide quicker service without any hitch,” said a Metrowater official.

Between April and July this year, nearly 24,000 people paid tax and charges online, as against 16,300 consumers for the corresponding months last year.

Sources in the Metrowater said residents might expect quicker execution of projects as paper work for tendering and documentation would be fully computerised. The functioning of sewage pumping stations and water distribution stations would also be monitored through the real-time data acquisition system.

In a few months, the entire operation, including recording of lake level at any point of time and monitoring of tankers, would be integrated into the e-governance, the sources said.