While Punekars keep complaining about water scarcity and unannounced water cuts, a 75-year-old senior citizen from Shaniwar Peth has been sent an erroneous water bill of a whopping Rs 10,76,059.

Govind Gore, who typically pays water bills of Rs 100-200, has been sent an erroneous water bill of over Rs 10 lakh by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Gore claimed that the incorrect bill has caused immense distress to him, and his blood pressure increased after he saw the bill. When he approached the Municipal Corporation for assistance, he was met with only a lackluster response.

Gore, a resident of Shaniwar Peth, receives water from the Municipal Corporation through a meter. He has been consistently paying water bills ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 200 each month. However, in the first week of March, he received a message on his mobile notifying him of an overdue water bill amounting to a staggering Rs 10.76 lakh.

Despite the bill being linked to his mobile number, the name on the bill was not his, and the address listed was in a nearby area. Gore immediately lodged a complaint with the water supply department, but he claims that his concerns were met with no meaningful response, only a dismissive 'we will see' from the officials.

Different customer number

Upon closer inspection, Gore realized that the customer number on the bill was not his, but due to his mobile number being mistakenly linked to the account, the arrears appeared on his phone. The address on the bill, Shaniwar Peth, Nava Pool, did not match his actual address.

“I’ve been paying my water bills regularly, yet I received a message stating that I owe Rs 10.76 lakh. This caused a huge increase in my blood pressure. Why was my mobile number linked to someone else’s bill? Why didn’t they remove my number after I complained?” Gore expressed in frustration.

Meanwhile, Nandkumar Jagtap, head of the water department, PMC, said, "I'm not aware about this issue, if you can send me the details, I'll check and rectify if the mistake is from our side. I'll look into it and solve the issue."