Gurgaon residents face one-year delay in water bills

Residents in several sectors of Gurgaon are frustrated with the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) over problems with their water bills. Many households have not received any water bills for six months to a year. Recently, MCG resumed sending out bills, but this has not eased the concerns of the residents. Some residents reported that the bills they received were based on average usage instead of actual readings from their water meters. Complaints include a lack of communication from MCG about how bills are calculated. Puneet Pahwa, a resident of Sector 45, expressed confusion over the billing practices. Others echoed his sentiments, noting that consolidated bills can be a financial burden, especially for those on fixed incomes. For a family of four, a typical monthly water bill is between Rs 500 and Rs 600. However, when bills are presented collectively after months or even annually, they can strain budgets. Residents highlight that many have not received their actual water bills for extended periods. MCG officials acknowledged the delays and indicated they are working to improve the situation. They attributed the issues to the outsourcing of operations and are in the process of reorganizing the billing system. A senior official mentioned plans to charge households based on actual consumption. Despite these reassurances, wait times for bills remain. Lalit Suraj Bhola from Sector 9A said they were promised changes two months ago, but there has been no progress. The municipal corporation's revenue from water supply was only Rs 12 crore during part of the previous year, significantly lower than expected. For the next financial year, MCG plans to reduce its budget for water procurement by 41.2%. They aim to enhance the billing process to better meet residents’ needs.