Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, May 17:
The water squad constituted by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administrator was shocked on finding 1200 illegal connections on 400 mm size pipeline laid on Pahadsinghpura Road, during the survey, recently.
Meanwhile, the squad is impatiently waiting to get security from respective police stations to implement the drive against illegal connections.
The squad, led by an independent officer (AMC’s chief accounts officer) Santosh Wahule, is visiting different parts of the city and conducting ground survey to find out the existence of illegal connections on distribution pipelines in the areas facing acute water scarcity. There were complaints that some parts of the city are getting water on gap of 4 days, while remaining areas are getting on the gap of 8-9 days. Meanwhile, the administration has claimed that it is supplying water to all parts of the city on gap of 5 days and the complaints relating to water supply from Cidco-Hudco and other localities have also been reduced.
As reported earlier, the municipal commissioner to overcome the growing water scarcity in the city has planned to increase the daily lifting capacity of water by 10 MLD. It includes 6 MLD from Harsul Tank and 4 MLD from MIDC.
To achieve the target, the AMC has also devised a plan to reduce water thefts and seal the water leakages in the water distribution system. Hence the newly appointed water squad led by an independent officer has visited Pahadsinghpura, Laxmi Colony and Shantipura in last few days. They visited these areas as there were complaints from some residents that they do not receive water in their taps.
On investigation, the squad found hundreds of illegal connections on main pipelines supply in the above localities. Meanwhile, the above three localities fall under the jurisdiction of Begumpura police station. Hence the AMC has sought the police bandobast (including women constables) to implement the drive as early as possible.
Meanwhile, the squad came to know that the scenario of illegal connections is almost the same in the city. The main pipelines supplying water to localities are burdened with illegal connections. Adding to the woes, the usage of electric motor to lift the water is also paralysing the water supply system.
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It is estimated that there would be 4 lakh properties in the jurisdiction of AMC. The AMC claims that it has laid the water pipelines in all parts of the city, except 10 per cent newly developed areas. There are 1.35 lakh legal connections on AMC record. Considering the number of properties, the civic administration believes there could be more than 1 lakh illegal water connections in the city.