5.6% water consumers overbilled, 25k cases admitted by OCW, NMC

Nagpur: In a damning admission exposing serious cracks in the city's water billing system, officials of Orange City Water Ltd (OCWL) and water works department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) conceded on Wednesday that 25,375 households (out of 4.52 lakh consumers across 10 zones) constituting 5.6% of Nagpur's total water consumers were issued excess bills.The disclosure was made at a high-level review meeting chaired by mayor Neeta Thakre, where mounting complaints over inflated water charges dominated discussions. The affected consumers are spread across all 10 civic zones, indicating that the problem is not isolated but systemic.The worst-hit zones are Satranjipura (6,841 consumers), Ashi Nagar (6,439), Nehru Nagar (3,201), and Gandhibagh (2,604). Even zones such as Lakadganj (1,571), Dharampeth (1,301), Mangalwari (1,185), Laxmi Nagar (803), Dhantoli (793), and Hanuman Nagar (637) reported significant discrepancies.Corporators questioned how over-billing of this magnitude went unchecked. Several members pointed out that citizens repeatedly approached ward offices with complaints of sudden spikes in monthly bills, only to be told to pay first and seek corrections later. "When over 25,000 consumers are affected, it is not a technical glitch, it is system failure," a corporator remarked at the meeting.Officials attributed excess billing to faulty meter readings, data entry errors, irregular meter replacements, and software-related discrepancies. However, the explanation failed to pacify elected representatives who demanded accountability and time-bound rectification.BJP MLA Pravin Datke had consistently alleged irregularities in OCWL's billing mechanism and sought an independent audit of the private operator's functioning. Citizens' groups echoed these concerns, arguing that the cases of over-billing erode public trust in the city's water distribution and billing framework. Activists demanded automatic refunds with interest in cases where excess payments were already made.Mayor Thakre directed officials to undertake a zone-wise verification drive, correct faulty bills on priority, and submit a detailed compliance report. Sources said the civic administration may also consider strengthening monitoring mechanisms and introducing cross-verification systems to prevent recurrence.With Nagpur already grappling with water contamination complaints and infrastructure deficiencies, the admission of large-scale overbilling added to public anger. For thousands of households struggling with rising living costs, the revelation that 1 in every 18 consumers was overcharged sharpened scrutiny on both OCWL and NMC's oversight — and intensified calls for accountability.