The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is set to reintroduce spot billing which was discontinued in favour of an online mechanism for generating water bills.
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine has instructed the KWA to resume spot billing, prompted reportedly by complaints regarding the new system under which consumers are informed about their bill details via SMS.
Earlier, the bills were generated and issued on the spot after the KWA staff took the reading from the water meters. In January, this practice was discontinued in favour of a system where the bills are issued via SMS after the reading is taken. However, there were complaints on the part of some consumers that this mechanism was erratic and they did not get their bills on time, leaving them vulnerable to disconnection.