From next year Kolkatans will have to pay water tax and drainage tax. A decision to this effect has been taken by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation which is planning to introduce the water tax first. It will be followed by a drainage tax.

The KMC has been given a grant of Rs 500 crore by the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) for renovating the drainage system of the city. But the NURM had put forward a condition to the KMC board before agreeing to grant the money. The KMC will have to create a fund of its own in order to maintain the renovated drainage system. It can do so by collecting the money procured by imposing the water and drainage taxes.

“The drainage tax will definitely be levied in the near future,” said Farzana Chowdhury, member, mayor-in-council, drainage department of KMC. Justifying the need for a water tax, mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said city residents often waste water. Therefore, “the water tax will serve two purposes. First, a fund will be created out of the collected tax money. Second, once the tax is imposed people will become more conscious about the amount of water they consume and the amount they waste,” said Bhattacharya.

The water, after being used by people, is drained out through the sewerage system. Hence the need for a drainage tax. According to engineers in the drainage department of KMC, “the water tax and the drainage tax will form a whole circle.” Once it is introduced, Chowdhury believes, the drainage tax will deter people from wasting water. “People will realise that with every drop they waste, they will have to pay more money,” said Chowdhury.