The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) in Maharashtra has launched an inspection of tap connections in hotels, restaurants, and other establishments to prevent water wastage and theft. As part of this initiative, the NMC has introduced the 'Abhay Yojana' to legalise unauthorised tap connections. Those who do not participate in this scheme and continue to use unauthorised connections will face criminal charges, according to orders issued by NMC commissioner Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar.
Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has set a period of 45 days, starting from May 1 to June 15, for regularising illegal tap connections. During this period, those who have unauthorized tap connections have been asked to authorise them under the 'Abhay Yojana' scheme. If any unauthorised connections are discovered after the deadline, NMC will take action against the offenders and the connection will be permanently closed. In addition, anyone found guilty of damaging public property or stealing water will face criminal charges, including the plumber who helped install the illegal connection. The commissioner of NMC, Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar, has issued orders to this effect.
In order to legalise unauthorised tap connections, individuals will be required to pay substantial fines. For a domestic tap connection, a fine of Rs 6,600 will be imposed, while for commercial connections, the fine amount will be Rs 8,100.
A fine of a minimum of 6,500 and a maximum of 38,400 will be levied for household tap connections, Rs6,600 to Rs2.64 lakh for non-domestic connections and 8,100 to 2.07 lakh for commercial connections, depending on the size of the tap.
After the expiry of the Abhay Yojana, a team of junior engineers, bill clerks, and plumbers, under the control of divisional officers and sub-engineers, will be appointed to search for unauthorised tap connections.