The Cauvery Stage IV Phase II project is on, which means Bangaloreans will get up to 500 million litres of water per day. The new project is set to benefit the residents of seven City Municipal Councils Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Mahadevpura, K.R. Puram, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Dasarahalli and one Town Municipal Council Kengeri. See the full details of who will get water here. There are 110 villages that will NOT benefit under this scheme.

“We have sold 1.04 lakh forms. Of this, around 51,600 people have submitted the forms. Among those who submitted forms, over 43,500 applications have been approved. The rest (8000-odd) are pending, as many applicants have not paid the full charges,” says T C Sarala Kumari, PRO at BWSSB. To avail of this new connection, BWSSB has launched a Sajala drive.

Citizen Matters spoke to Dr P.N Ravindra, Executive Engineer, BWSSB who told us to get a new connection, how much will it cost you and in how many days will the process take.

What do you need to submit?

You need the Sajala form. you can buy the form from the sub-division office in your area for Rs 100. These forms are available online too at http://bwssb.org/pdf/Application%20Form.pdf.

You need two copies of the following documents :

1. Any property related document – building sanction plan, khatha, tax paid receipt
2. Address proof – Absolute Sale Deed/ Ration Card/ Electricity bill/ Telephone Bill
3. A stamp paper of Rs 20.
4. Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) adoption document, certifying that the site has implemented RWH, for sites measuring 1200 sq ft and more.You can give a self-declaration saying that RWH has been installed in your house, along with a photo of the RWH system. Before sanction, BWSSB officers will visit your house and verify this.
5. Photograph of the house (To make the inspection process easy)
6. Beneficiary Capital Contribution Receipt (under GBWASP project)

The submission needs to be certified by a BWSSB-approved plumber.

How much will it cost you?

The total amount is calculated like this: Total fees + Pro rata charges + Beneficiary Capital Contribution

1. Total fees: Rs 2040 (Payable in the form of a DD in favour of the Chairman, BWSSB)

Break up of total fees –

• Meter charges: Rs 850
• Inspection fee: Rs 250
• Three months minimum fee: Rs 315
• Connection fee: Rs 25
• Sewage line fee: Rs 600

2. Pro rata charges: These are applicable only for houses that have more than two storeys, in sites measuring 1200 sq ft or more. If you live in a house with three floors (G+2) or more, then pro rata charges are applicable only from the second floor onwards, not on the first or ground floors.

3. Beneficiary Capital Contribution: This is to be paid at any branch of Syndicate Bank within BBMP jurisdiction. The beneficiary capital contribution can also be paid in 24 equal installments, which will be added in your water bill.

Where to submit the forms?

The Sajala form with the documents can be submitted at your nearest BWSSB sub division office. For list of BWSSB sub division offices, click here

Days required for water connection: Seven to 15 days (Inspection might cause delay)

Citizens forced to pay bribes

Many people complain that they are being forced to pay bribes while applying for connections. Public give applications to a BWSSB-certified plumber (many of whom sit in the BWSSB offices), rather than directly to BWSSB. Most plumbers ask for extra amounts.

Sathya Prasad, a freelance journalist residing in Devasandra in KR Puram, says, “In our local BWSSB office, the plumber collected an extra Rs 500 only for accepting applications. This amount was mentioned nowhere in the application. I realised only later that it was a bribe.”

A BWSSB AEE clarifies that plumbers are not supposed to collect any additional amount for processing the applications. “They can collect labour charges though, at the time of laying pipes. Labour charge will vary from house to house depending on the condition of the site and road,” he says.

In Prasad’s case, more drama followed. For him, Rs 12,000 was the cost of connection – including pipe laying and meter fixing – to his single storey house in a 30X40 site. Prasad had submitted his application in September. “In October, BWSSB informed me that my application got misplaced. The plumber told me that the officers may need a bribe, but I did not pay. I had to visit BWSSB office many times, and finally in December, they said that they found the application, and approved it,” says Prasad.

Though Prasad and most of his neighbours have taken connections, there is no regular supply to their houses yet. BWSSB has only done a few trial runs in this area so far.⊕