With tail-end areas under its jurisdiction not receiving adequate drinking water, the Corporation has started to disconnect illegal pipe connections permanently and impose hefty fine on illegal pumps used for drawing water.
With a population of 5.33 lakh, the civic body supplies drinking water to 1.82 lakh houses through over 2,000-km-long pipelines. While a good number of houses have been given drinking water connections, a few thousand connections have been given illegally allegedly with the connivance of some officials and councillors. This has resulted in erratic and inadequate supply of drinking water to residents in tail-end areas besides causing a huge loss to the Corporation.
After complaints of erratic supply started flooding the Corporation, it initiated steps to identify illegal water connections. In ward 37 near KTC Nagar alone, officials identified 729 illegal connections. The Corporation supplies water to this area from its pumping stations at Manappadaiveedu and Thirumalaikozhunthupuram.
While the Manappadaiveedu pumping station is an old project, the Thirumalaikozhunthupuram station is just 15 years old. Since the population of ward 37 is high, the demand for pipe connections is also high, which cannot be met by the supply from the two pumping stations. While the waitlisted applicants have been given connections in a phased manner, some residents allegedly bribed the Corporation officials to get connections illegally.
“When around 500 illegal drinking water connections were detected 10 years ago, the erring residents were fined and five Corporation officials suspended. However, the government regularised the connections after collecting the mandatory non-returnable deposit and the fine by issuing an order,” recalled a Corporation official.
The issue has rocked the Corporation as officials detected 729 illegal drinking water connections in this ward. Since the Keezhanaththam village panchayat starts at where ward 37 ends, the connections have been given illegally with bribes up to ₹40,000 to several houses in Keezhanaththam village panchayat also, the affected residents alleged.
The Corporation has started a similar survey in all other areas to identify illegal pipe connections even as the water pumps are being seized.
“In a coordinated operation launched by the Corporation in wards 1, 2, 13, 14, 37 and 38, we have seized 140 motors. Those who have obtained illegal connections will face serious legal consequences, while the illegally fitted pumps will attract a hefty fine and permanent disconnection,” warned Commissioner V. Sivakrishnamurthy.
He has transferred two valve operators from ward 37 to Melapalayam Zone and initiated inquiry into their role in giving illegal drinking water connections.
Agitated over this, the councillors are reportedly being mobilised by a senior DMK councillor against the Commissioner and they are planning to stage walkout from the council meeting to be held on November 30.
