PCMC to regularise 40,000 illegal water connections

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will start a drive to regularise 40,000 illegal water connections later this month.
Officials said such connections were creating water and revenue losses.
Shrikant Sawane, joint city engineer, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), told TOI, "We will need meters, pipes and other equipment for regularisation. A tender will be floated next week. We may commence work by the end of this month."
PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh had earlier said that the PCMC would organise a drive from April to regularise such connections. However, no action was taken.
"An issue is the penalty may be high for many. We will not take money for regularising and equipment. The charges could be recovered through water bills over the next few billing cycles," he said.
Last October, the PCMC had said that action would be taken from January to tackle the illegal connections that lead to inadequate supply and contamination of water. The action never took place.
Meanwhile, the irrigation department has urged citizens and PCMC to use water judiciously after the Pavana reservoir capacity reached around 24%. The civic body could bank on alternate-day water supply.