Industrialists at Tarapur are shocked as the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) on Wednesday began acting on its threat to disconnect water supply to industrial units at the Tarapur MIDC estate because of non-payment of water bills.
A few months ago, the MIDC had increased water rates to arm-twist industrialists into entering a Joint Venture Company (JVC) with an American concern to build a Common Effluent Treatment (CET) plant. The MIDC told the industrialists that the water rates would be lowered once they agreed to the JVC.
Although the industrialists later agreed to the JVC, the MIDC is still demanding the increased rates for the months the matter was in dispute. The industrialists are refusing to pay the increased rates on grounds that the hike was too steep and effected without prior notice.
The MIDC recently issued notices to some 1,400-odd units asking them to clear, with interest, unpaid bills stretching back to September 2000. The MIDC had earlier given June 8 as the last date for paying arrears under penalty of disconnection. Last Friday, a delegation from the Tarapur Industrial Manufacturers Association (TIMA) discussed the issue in vain with R K Das, chief executive officer, MIDC.
Wednesday's disconnections were ordered by N K Bode, deputy engineer, MIDC, Tarapur, who had also issued the notices.
By late afternoon, when disconnections were in full swing, senior TIMA members contacted Das and requested him to suspend disconnecting the water supply. But by then a majority of the units had already had their water supply cut.
Efforts are on to ask senior MIDC officials and State Industry Minister Dr Patangrao Kadam to intervene in the matter.
Recently, the industrialists had threatened to move their units to Gujarat if the MIDC went through with its threat to disconnect their water supply.
