DINDIGUL: The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD Board), Dindigul, owes Tangedco (Dindigul) Rs 6.7 crore in arrears for power consumption until financial year 2024-25, a reply to an RTI TNIE filed has revealed. While the power utility mentions having sent frequent reminders and notices in this regard, TWAD Board officials blame the delay in payment of bills by local bodies it supplies to for the inability to clear the arrears.
According to the reply to TNIE’s RTI query, Dindigul TWAD Board’s power bill arrears to Tangedco (Dindigul) that amounted to Rs 4.20 crore in 2023-24 rose to Rs 6.70 crore in 2024-2025.
On the arrears, a top official in TWAD Board-Dindigul told TNIE, "There are more than three major combined water (supply) schemes being operated in Dindigul district. These have 33 large pumping stations and these pumping technologies consume a large amount of power. So, most of these lines are High Tension (HT) lines as they require huge power. Water pumping to village panchayats also uses LT (Low Tension) lines and also consumes power. So, every month we get power bills that cross at least `20 lakh."
Mentioning water charges the major source of income for the board, the official said, "We charge Rs 11 for 1,000 litres of water supply to villages, town panchayats and municipalities in Dindigul district. But town panchayats and municipalities are delaying payment as there are arrears in each section and segments, and this has accumulated and disturbed our payments in TWAD (Dindigul). Despite writing letters, the government departments are yet to pay up, resulting in us not paying the electricity charges."
Pointing out that some of the combined water supply schemes to other districts such as Ramanathapuram are also operated via Dindigul from River Cauvery flowing through Karur district, the official said, “As maintenance, we seek power charges, which should be paid by TWAD (Ramanathapuram), but they are yet to get water charges from their villages in Ramanathapuram district. This is adding to our woes."
Meanwhile, a Tangedco (Dindigul) official said, "TWAD is a major utility agency primarily focused on water supply to town panchayats, municipalities and 250 village panchayats in Dindigul. Besides, at the ground level, municipalities and town panchayats get an average bill running to several lakh rupees.”
While we are happy TWAD paid some lakhs towards the power bills, the arrears is discomforting. Tangdeco cannot disconnect supply to TWAD pumping stations for non-payment of bills due to public sensitivity. Further, water is essential for all kinds of works, the official added.