MC to impose fine on washing vehicles at home

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 28

Taking a stringent step to prevent the wastage of water in the city, especially during the summers, the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar (MCJ) will impose a fine on the people who are caught washing vehicles at home.

Mayor Sunil Jyoti said the civic body could now impose a fine of up to Rs 5,000 on the people who were caught washing their vehicles at home.

“We will initially levy a fine of Rs 1,000 which would later increase to Rs 2,000 for the second time. However, we would also cut the water connection if anyone commits the offence for more than three times,” said Jyoti.

The state government had recently introduced the water meter policy in the state to sustain and raise the depleting water-table in the state. Under the policy, the water supply and sewerage charges will be included in the electricity bills of urban consumers in the state.

However, while each household, shop, hotel etc was asked to install a water meter till March 31, 2017, and each industrial unit till March 31, 2016, the state government, making a provisional arrangement, asked the civic body to recover the water charges of residential households in electricity bills till they installed their own water meter next year.

However, recently making a U-turn, the state government had directed the MCJ not to recover any water charges from residential households by next year.