Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) Commissioner failed to keep the promise of paying Rs 1.5 crore before March 31 to avoid disruption of the city's water supply. As a result, angry officials from the Department of Water Resources (DoWR) have now issued a fresh notice to the CSMC, demanding Rs 10 crore be paid by April 25. Failing this, they have warned that the city's water supply will be stopped from April 28.
The city receives 140 MLD of water daily from the Jayakwadi project through both old and new water supply schemes. For this water usage, the DoWR issues an annual bill of around Rs 7 crore to the CSMC. However, due to poor financial conditions, the corporation has not been making regular payments. As a result, the Department of Irrigation (DoI) is owed a total of Rs 52.41 crore in water bill arrears.
In view of the March 31 deadline, the DoI’s Jayakwadi office followed up with the municipal corporation Commissioner, G Sreekanth, urging the payment of at least Rs 6 crore. Notices threatening to cut off the water supply were also issued. After a meeting with the civic chief on February 24, the corporation paid Rs 4.5 crore. With only a few days left until March 31, the Chief Engineer (DoI), Jayant Gawali, held discussions with the municipal commissioner regarding the remaining dues. At that time, the civic chief assured them that Rs 1.5 crore would be paid by the end of March.
As a result, the water supply to the city was not disconnected. However, now that the third and final week of April has begun and the promised Rs 1.5 crore has still not been paid, the DoI is upset. Executive Engineer Prashant Jadhav has issued a fresh notice to the CSMC, demanding a lump-sum payment of Rs 10 crore by April 25—Rs 3 crore from the previous year and Rs 7 crore for the current year. If the payment is not made on time, the city’s water supply will be stopped from April 28, warned the notice.
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"Despite assurances from the CSMC, the arrears for the water bill have not been cleared. Therefore, a new notice has been issued, asking for a Rs 10 crore payment by April 25. If the amount is not paid on time, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's water supply will be cut off from April 28," said Deepak Dongre, assistant superintending engineer.