Water supply rates for consumers in Shimla were hiked by 10 per cent on Friday effective immediately, officials said here.

The Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) notified the revised rates for different categories of consumers within and outside the Shimla Municipal Corporation limits, the body's general manager Anil Mehta told the PTI.

The SJPNL, formed in 2018, had originally planned to hike the water tariff by 10 per cent annually, but the rates have been increased only once so far, in 2019. There was no revision after that due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

The new rates had been decided in September last year but could not be implemented as the Model Code of Conduct came into force ahead of the assembly elections, they added.

Among the various categories, the charge for up to 20 kilolitres for domestic consumers within the Shimla Municipal Corporation limits has been increased from Rs 16.95 per KL to Rs 17.55 per KL, for 21 KL to 30 KL the charge goes up to Rs 27.50 per KL to 30.25 per KL and for the above 30 KL users, it goes up from Rs 49.50 per KL to Rs 54.45 per KL, along with minimum maintenance charges plugged at Rs 100 per month which has been kept unchanged.

The charges for exclusively commercial establishments, including hotels and restaurants, have been increased from Rs 87.85 per KL to Rs 96.64 per KL for consumption up to 30 KL and from Rs 126.50 per KL to Rs 177.14 per KL for consumption above 75 KL.

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