The local BJP unit has vehemently opposed the decision taken by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) of adding extra costs in the existing tariff to facilitate connections to the main sewer lines of the underground drainage system for housing societies and commercial establishments in the twin-city.
Alleging huge disparities in the old and existing tariff, former BJP city chief- Adv. Ravi Vyas in his letter to the municipal commissioner, has stated that around 50 percent of the housing societies have been connected to the sewer lines according to the old rates which was pegged as Rs.25,000 per line.
“The civic administration passed a fresh resolution in January-2024 for rolling out a tender process following which three private agencies were appointed in October-2024 to provide connections by saddling additional burden of more than Rs.3 lakh towards other charges including -excavation, brick masonry work for interception chamber and plumbing material which was earlier shouldered by the MBMC. This is an unjustified and step-motherly move which will not be tolerated. ” said Vyas who has threatened to launch an agitation against the civic administration if the decision is not rolled back immediately.
“The civic administration has duly passed this resolution to augment revenue and further enhance services.” said a senior officer requesting anonymity.
The MBMC’s underground decentralized sewage facility is spread across ten zones in a radius of 24 sq. km. Although a network of sewage lines measuring around 100 km have been laid supported by ten pumping stations and an equal number of sewage treatment plants (STP) equipped with the advanced Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology, the project is yet to be fully functional.
Moreover, several rural, coastal and densely populated (with narrow lanes and old buildings) are still devoid of underground sewer lines. However, the MBMC has already imposed sewage facility tax on the local populace.
