Metro Water plans to collect pending dues of Rs 635 crore by end of March in Chennai

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is currently in the process of collecting pending taxes and dues amounting to Rs 635 crore from private entities, households and government departments. This comes as the water board aims to meet a total collection target of Rs 1,445 crore by March 31.

According to a CMWSSB source, there are 9.91 lakh water and sewage connections in the city. During this current financial year, the water board aimed to raise Rs 885 crore through tax and charge collections and the pending amount of Rs 560 crore from the previous year.

Till now, the CMWSSB collected Rs 810 crore from April 2022 to January 2023, an increase of Rs 110 crore over the previous year. Of the outstanding dues of Rs 635 crore, Rs 52 crore is pending with government departments. This includes PWD, housing board, Aavin, police, fire and rescue, TNEB, transport, local bodies, income tax, and railways, said the official. Water board officials were now focusing on collecting pending water and sewerage payments, he added.

A senior official told TNIE, “The names of commercial customers having dues for many years will be updated on the water board’s website. Following this, we will urge them to pay pending amounts through official letters. There is a plan to take legal action through the revenue department.”

He also pointed out that the board planned to send demi official letters to the concerned government department secretaries to draw their personal attention to collecting the pending amount of Rs 52 crore.It may be noted CMWSSB pays salaries and pensions to its employees through these charges and taxes.