Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Feb 1: For the first time in the state, the local city corporation has introduced smart cards for water consumers of the city. The smart cards, which function like ATM cards, provide instant information to the consumers on consumption of water, excess charges, present bill amount, payment details etc.

Mangalore City Corporation had, on an experimental basis, distributed smart cards to about 100 consumers. The feedback on the experiment has been encouraging. These cards contain all details about the concerned consumers, and get operated upon swiping the card on the spot billing machines with the meter readers. The consumers also get SMS to their mobile phones immediately after water bills are issued.

Assistant executive engineer of the city corporation, Linge Gowda, said that the city corporation proposes to issue about 10,000 such cards to the consumers free of cost at the earliest.

Towards regulating misuse of water, the corporation has announced through media that it will cut water connections to all the public taps with effect from February 1. Those who used to depend upon public taps have been requested to apply to the city corporation for individual connections. The city corporation, it is learnt, is yet to recover over nine crore rupees from a large number of water consumers, and notices of disconnection have been served on 450 consumers, whose dues exceed Rs 50,000, it is gathered.