The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) collects fines averaging over ₹18 crore per month, which is nearly 10% of the total water bill revenue, which is now pegged at around ₹200 crore per month.
Of the nearly 10.85 million connections it serves, 1.52 million connections are penalized every month.
The BWSSB imposes fines for three types of violations: non-installation of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) system, building without building consent and non-installation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).
RWH systems
All new buildings constructed after 2016 on lots 30X40 feet and larger must install RWH systems. Failure to install the same may result in a short-term penalty of 50% of the water bill and further non-compliance will go up to 100% of the bill every month. The data shows that 49,431 buildings are paying penalty for not installing RWH, amounting to an average of ₹ 4.56 crore per month.
V. Ram Prasath Manohar, chairman, BWSSB, recently announced that the board will henceforth install the RWH system at a cost of around ₹8,000-10,000 per built-up area of 2,400 sq.ft. Until now, consumers had to have RWH systems installed through third-party vendors. The board also offered to install a RWH system and collect the cost in monthly installments adjusted according to the penalty paid by the consumer.
“Our aim is not to collect fines but to ensure water conservation. The board installing RWH is a win-win situation for the consumer and the city,” said Mr. Manohar. (up to here)
OC fees
The BWSSB collects the most in fines in the form of OC fees from buildings without approval certificates for violations of building standards, which the board followed up on. Depending on the size of the building, the fine can range from 50% to 100% of the water bill. A whopping 1.03 lakh such buildings pay an average fine of ₹ 13.20 lakh per month.
Previously, water and electricity connections were provided to all buildings, even if they do not have OV from the civic association with the justification that it is a basic amenity. However, the Supreme Court order of December 2024 made OC mandatory for the connection of utility networks. Following this, the state government made some concessions to the rule of organized crime.
“Earlier, we gave connections even to buildings without OC. A building with major violations puts a lot of pressure on our infrastructure network. Our sewer network is often congested and we have to repair it often. Considering all these costs, the fine imposed on such buildings is lower,” said Dr. Manohar.
STP fees
The BWSSB also collects ₹ 27 lakh per month as penalty from buildings that are mandated to install STPs but do not have them. There are only 320 such buildings and sources in BWSSB said they are trying to convince them and get them to install STP.
Published – 08 May 2026 23:38 IST
