Public Outrage Over Skyrocketing Water Bills; Drinking Water Corporation Office Protest

Public Outrage Over Skyrocketing Water Bills; Drinking Water Corporation Office Muni ki reti

*   Locals and municipal councilors stage a symbolic protest against smart meters; warn of an intense agitation.
Rishikesh: Public anger has erupted over the exorbitant hike in water bills within the Muni-ki-Reti-Dhalwala Municipal Council area. On Saturday, municipal councilors and local residents gheraoed the Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation’s Pump House No. 4 office in Dhalwala and staged a symbolic protest. During the event, the crowd raised slogans vehemently against the Drinking Water Corporation.

A large number of locals gathered at the pump house office on Saturday, led by councilors Gajendra Sajwan, Babita Ramola, Rekha Painyuli, and Laxman Bhandari. Many arrived carrying the smart meters installed in their homes.

The protesters allege that the Drinking Water Corporation is operating this office on a contract basis. The department is reportedly issuing bills ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 without any proper assessment; the bills do not reflect actual meter readings.

Residents stated that while they have repeatedly demanded the removal of smart meters, officials silence them by threatening to issue recovery notices (RCs). Despite drinking water supplies being disrupted for days in areas like Anand Vihar and Bhajangarh, water bills have been hiked manifold.

The agitated residents warned that if the issue is not resolved soon, they would be forced to rip the smart meters out of their homes and dump them at the office premises, and would launch an intense agitation against the Drinking Water Corporation.

Bhagwati Prasad Raturi, Dinesh Saklani, Sachin Painyuli, Seema Painyuli, Aarti Sajwan, Roshan Chamoli, Surendra, Jaipal, Dinesh Uniyal, Ramgopal Uniyal, and others were present on the occasion.