Wat-er relief: Camurlim woman’s ₹83,000 PWD bill cut to ₹1,500

Social activist Fidol Pereira with Maria D’Souza at the PWD, Water Supply office.

MARGAO
In a strange case, a resident of Camurlim-Salcete was slapped with an Rs 83,000 water bill, but has finally paid just Rs 1,500 after a persistent fight.

Maria D’Souza was issued a staggering water bill of Rs 83,000 for the year 2023. What followed was a two-year ordeal of endless visits to the Public Works Department (PWD) office, as she struggled to get the erroneous bill rectified.

On Monday, Maria finally returned home with some relief — having paid only Rs 2,000 in total: Rs 1,500 towards water charges and Rs 500 for the water meter.

Taking up the cause, social activist Fidol Pereira confronted officials at the PWD office in Borda, questioning how such an inflated bill had been generated. The official in charge, who had recently taken over the post, was asked to explain the basis for the Rs 83,000 charge.

Following a series of rectifications, the bill amount was successively reduced — first to Rs 53,000, then Rs 42,000, and finally to Rs 4,000. After a fresh inquiry was conducted by the PWD, the final amount payable was fixed at Rs 1,500.

“Just imagine if the consumer was uneducated or illiterate — they might have simply paid the amount without question,” said Pereira. “Maria stood her ground and made countless trips to the PWD office to seek justice. The PWD must ensure that people aren’t forced to run from pillar to post to correct their mistakes. Justice must be accessible and automatic.”