Socio Economic Water Tariff Model for Unmetered connection for Gandhidham Nagar Palika, Kachchh, Gujarat – India

Abstract

The research work aims to review the existing water tariff of Gandhidham city and proposes a simple frame work for water tariff which is based on socio economics data collected through questionnaire survey conducted during January 2019 to March 2019 on 206 respondents. Response of the questionnaire survey suggest that in Gandhidham frequency of water supply by ULB is three or more days, the quality of water is poor and the quantity is inadequate. 14.1% of respondents felt that the existing water tariff is too low and 80.6% of the respondents are willing to pay higher for improved water supply services. The study proposes new water tariff models namely “Socio Economic Model” for unmetered water connections. The proposed socio economic model would have yielded 3.37 times higher revenue to the Gandhidham Nagarpalika for the year 2017-18. Adoption of the proposed model by all the ULBs in the state and the country has a potential to increase the revenue collection and thereby augment the infrastructure development activity and can make the city capable of generating its own revenue with reduction on dependence on grant from the Government