Water board gives nod for Yamuna cess
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Friday passed an order to levy ‘environment cess’ on ‘unsewered colonies’ in the city. The proposal requires an approval from the Delhi cabinet before it can be implemented.
Senior officials in DJB said that while the cess would only be levied on colonies and areas that do not have sewers, the rate of the cess would depend upon the property tax of the area.
As per the order, the colonies that fall under ‘A’ and ‘B’ category of the property tax will have to pay ` 500 as cess. Likewise, those under category C and D will pay ` 300, those under E and F category will pay ` 200 and those under G and H will pay ` 100, every month in addition to their monthly water bill.
The cess, a part of the environmental compensation, however, will not be levied on plotted colonies and areas that have a sewer system.
“Since residents of some colonies are already paying sewer charges, we will not burden them again. The National Green Tribunal has asked that nobody be left out as per the polluter pays principle and we are implementing that,” said DJB vice chairperson Kapil Mishra.
Holding every Delhite responsible for the current pathetic state of the Yamuna, the National Green Tribunal had on May 8 ordered an additional ‘environment compensation’ to be levied on every household, whereby ordering the civic agencies to charge the cess.
“We direct the NCT of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board and all municipal corporations, cantonment board, electricity companies like BSES and all other civic authorities to require payment of environmental compensation from every house hold which is generating sewage in entire Delhi on the polluters pay principle. It will be irrespective of whether a household is sewered or not,” the order states.
The compensation will be a time-bound cess which will be withdrawn once the estimated cost of the project has been met. The cost of the project is projected to be around ` 3,700 crore.