Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to roll back its decision to collect monthly charges for water usage in rural areas. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, after receiving public feedback, has directed to stop the issuing of water bills in rural regions. Chief Minister’s Principal Media Advisor, Naresh Chauhan confirmed the development while addressing media on Thursday.
The state government had earlier fixed water rates at Rs 100 per month per connection in rural areas, with the implementation starting on October 1, 2024. However, in January 2025, the department decided to issue water bills collectively. The Jal Shakti Department had already initiated the process of registering water connections in preparation for the billing. Now, with the latest directive, the government has halted the collection of these fees.
The move impacts around 17 lakh drinking water consumers in the rural areas of Himachal Pradesh, who were set to receive water bills starting November 2024. At Rs 100 per month, the annual cost per connection would have amounted to Rs 1,200. The government had also made provisions for free water supply to certain categories, including widows, divorced women, persons with disabilities and families with an annual income of less than Rs 50,000.
Currently, there are 17 lakh water connections in rural Himachal Pradesh, with Kangra district accounting for the highest number at 4 lakh. The expansion of the water supply gained momentum after the Jal Jeevan Mission was implemented in the state in 2019. Prior to this, Himachal had approximately 7.63 lakh water connections, which increased by 9.50 lakh after the mission’s execution, ensuring tap water supply to more households.
