250 notices issued for misuse of water connections in Sirsa

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, June 7

Amid the hue and cry over water scarcity, the Public Health Department is consistently taking action against people in urban areas who use domestic connections for commercial purposes. The department has formed six teams to inspect connections in various parts of the city, checking shops and houses. Notices are being issued if domestic connections are being used for commercial purposes. So far, over 250 notices have been issued in the city.

Officials of the department said those who have not converted their connections despite receiving notices and continue to use potable water for other activities will have their water connections cut off and will be fined.

Rakesh Soglan, an adviser to the Public Health Department, stated that six teams had been formed in the urban area of Sirsa. Among these, one team, along with Block Resource Coordinators (BRC) and other employees, is engaged in recovering outstanding bills. Another team is tasked with inspecting connections used for commercial activities, such as animal dairies, service stations and horticulture. The team conducted a campaign to check connections from HUDA Chowk to Delhi Pul. They inspected water connections used in nurseries and car service centres. So far, connections to six animal dairies and 12 car service stations operating in the city have been snapped by the department.

Since April 4, the department has been recovering outstanding bills for drinking water connections and teams have been going door to door to recover long-standing dues, amounting to over Rs 50 lakh in two months. This includes Rs 35 lakh from the Haathi Park bill branch and Chautala House bill branches and Rs 15 lakh from other areas. During inspections, it was found that water connections were being used for animal dairies and car service stations in areas like Auto Market, Kanganpur Road, HUDA Chowk to Delhi Pul and Bhadra Bazaar.

Soglan said some people were conducting commercial activities using domestic connections because of the lower charges. Domestic connections with meters are charged Rs 60 per month, while those without meters are charged Rs 120 per month. In contrast, commercial connections with meters are charged Rs 125 per month, and those without meters are charged Rs 1,250 per month.

If commercial use is found during the inspection of a domestic connection, the individual is given a three-day notice. During this period, they are given the opportunity to either stop using potable water for commercial activities or convert their connection to a commercial one. Despite this, if negligence continues, the department will cut off the connection and impose a fine of Rs 2,500. Recently, the department’s team conducted a campaign in Bhadra Bazaar, issuing 12 notices for illegal connections.