Residents of Nagpur, led by Central Nagpur MLA Pravin Datke, have taken a firm stand against what they call an unreasonable and sudden surge in their water bills. On Tuesday, Datke, accompanied by a group of affected citizens, submitted a formal memorandum to Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, voicing strong opposition to the steep increases levied by the city's water utility, Orange City Water (OCW).
Memorandum Highlights Citizen Grievances
In the submitted memorandum, MLA Pravin Datke highlighted the core issues plaguing the city's water consumers. He pointed out that citizens have been receiving irregular and excessively inflated bills, which place an unfair financial burden on households across Nagpur. Datke demanded that such erroneous bills be immediately cancelled or corrected to provide relief to the public.
Beyond the billing chaos, the memorandum also stressed the urgent need for transparency in the meter reading process to prevent future discrepancies. Datke further highlighted the persistent problem of irregular water supply in many areas of the city, arguing that billing should be reconsidered in these localities until reliable service is restored.
Commissioner's Assurance and Public Outcry
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Pravin Datke urged all citizens not to pay any inflated or incorrect bills. He assured the public that their concerns were being taken to the highest level of the administration. The delegation received a positive response from the commissioner.
Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari assured the group that all erroneous and inflated bills issued to consumers would be reverted. He promised that necessary corrective action would be taken to address the systemic issues. The citizens who joined Datke shared numerous firsthand accounts of faulty billing and inconsistent water supply, which prompted the commissioner's commitment to prompt resolution steps.
Calls for Systemic Reform
In his demands, MLA Datke called for more than just one-time corrections. He urged the civic administration to establish a dedicated helpdesk specifically to address consumer complaints regarding water bills and supply. This move aims to create a permanent channel for grievance redressal, ensuring that residents have a direct line to report issues without facing bureaucratic hurdles.
The protest underscores a growing frustration among Nagpur's residents with the services of Orange City Water. The outcome of this memorandum and the commissioner's assurances are now being closely watched, as the city awaits tangible action to rectify the billing errors and improve water supply consistency.
