Haryana Government Announces Major Relief on Water and Sewerage Dues
The Haryana government has introduced a significant one-time waiver program for consumers with pending water and sewerage dues. According to a notification issued by the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department, consumers who clear their outstanding charges for the period up to December 31, 2025, by May 31, 2026, will receive a complete 100% waiver on all accumulated surcharges and penalties.
Key Conditions and Eligibility Criteria
The waiver scheme comes with specific conditions that consumers must meet to qualify:
- The benefit is exclusively available to consumers with metered water connections.
- Consumers must also be current with their regular water and sewerage bill payments.
- Those using unmetered connections must first install meters to become eligible for the surcharge relief.
Officials have warned that water supply may be disconnected for defaulting consumers after the deadline passes, emphasizing the importance of timely compliance.
Revised Penalty Structure and Legal Framework
In a parallel amendment to existing regulations, the government has implemented a new penalty structure for late payments. Under the revised rules, a one-time penalty of 10% will be applied to unpaid water and sewerage charges if bills are not cleared by their due date.
This penalty will be levied only on the current billing cycle's amount and will not accumulate on outstanding balances in subsequent cycles, marking a departure from previous practices that often resulted in compounding penalties.
The amendments were enacted under provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, and took immediate effect, replacing an earlier order dated March 9, 2011.
Revenue Objectives and Financial Context
Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) officials explained that the dual approach of providing surcharge relief while introducing structured penalties aims to improve revenue collection while offering tangible relief to consumers burdened by accumulated surcharges.
The financial context reveals significant revenue growth and expenditure challenges:
- MCG's revenue from water and sewerage charges increased dramatically from ₹16 crore in 2024-25 to ₹56 crore in 2025-26.
- Projections for the current fiscal year anticipate this income rising sharply to approximately ₹80 crore.
- However, MCG's expenditure on bulk water purchases from the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) remains substantially higher, with ₹135 crore allocated for the current fiscal year and over ₹241 crore spent in the previous year.
Future Integration Plans
Looking ahead, MCG officials revealed plans to integrate water and sewerage connections with the no-dues certificate portal, following the model already established for property tax. This integration would require clearance of water dues during property transactions, similar to existing requirements for property tax settlements.
The comprehensive approach reflects the government's strategy to streamline municipal revenue systems while providing measured relief to consumers struggling with accumulated surcharges on essential services.
