Pune: The civic body’s amnesty scheme for illegal water connections has elicited a poor response, a month after its announcement. Only a handful of property owners have come forward to regularise their illegal connections, an official said. As per Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) data, civic areas have nearly 4.
5lakh illegal water taps , both commercial as well as residential. The legal taps would be around 4lakh. PMC had announced an amnesty scheme for illegal water connections in 2021.
It was launched to appeal to citizens with illegal water connections to pay a one-time penalty and get their connections regularised. Only 500 people have come forward to pay the penalty charges . No commercial establishment has come forward to avail the benefits of the scheme.
Civic officials said the administration has increased the ambit of the scheme. The earlier scheme was valid only for legal properties. The latest one can be availed by the occupants of unauthorised properties, too.
But not even one application has reached PMC for regularisation. “The users of illegal water connections are not coming forward on their own. The PMC will form ward-wise teams to increase awareness.
Strict action against users, such as snapping these illegal taps, has been proposed,” said Prasanna Joshi, a senior PMC officer. “The administration introduced the amnesty scheme multiple times. It is an injustice to diligent taxpayers and citizens.
PMC should initiate action against defaulters,” said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizen group. Civic officials said around 100 connections are issued monthly. Users benefiting from these can range from 3,000 to 5,000, based on the size and type of property.
According to PMC norms, if any property has six flats, one 1/2 inch water connection is allowed. For 12 flats, one 3/4 inch connection is given, and for properties with more than 24 flats, one 1 inch connection is allowed. We also published the following articles recently Illegal water tapping: Trichy Corporation seizes 15 motor pumps The Trichy Corporation confiscated 15 motor pumps from homes in Ramji Nagar for illegally tapping drinking water.
The illegal practice caused water supply issues in peripheral areas. The confiscation normalized supply, and officials warned of penalties and disconnection for future violations. The measures are crucial for the 24X7 drinking water supply scheme rollout.
Properties availing tax rebates for rainwater harvesting up ten times in decade under PMC The adoption of rainwater harvesting in Pune has increased significantly, with property owners availing related tax discounts rising tenfold over a decade. Despite this, overall adoption remains low. Authorities have mandated new constructions to install such systems to help combat water scarcity and address groundwater depletion issues, but more efforts are needed to increase participation.
Heavy spells in catchments lead to water discharge from Khadakwasla; PMC on alert mode Heavy rainfall in Pune district's dam catchments led to significant water releases on Saturday. Khadakwasla, Panshet, and Varasgaon dams discharged water into Mutha river at various rates. The state irrigation department and Pune Municipal Corporation issued alerts and monitored low-lying areas.
Water was also released from Pavana and Bhor Bhatghar dams, with adjustments based on rainfall in catchments..
