Faced with the growing revenue loss, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department is carrying out a survey to find illegal water supply connections in the city.
With the population of 15 lakh, water crisis is looming large over the city as thousands of unregistered connections are squeezing water from the distribution system. Unregistered connections are the major reason for revenue shortfall, a fact detected by an audit conducted by the government following directions from the Central Government to streamline drinking water supply under the provision of the Water Regularity Authority Act.
A research on the Jammu water supply shows that 87 per cent of households are covered by piped water supply and they have legal connections. But many households have maintained another “illegal connection” with the connivance of staff of the department by paying them money annually for the favour. “Many people pay some staff members money for additional connection which is not accounted for. It leads to revenue loss and also affects the water supply and our planning to ensure regular supply to residents who complain about its shortage,” said a senior PHE Department official.
An internal audit in 2013 had found irregularities in the PHE Department for its failure to take action against illegal water connections and regularisation of 9,526 illegal connections without imposing any penalty during the period 2007-12. Officially there are 1,21,814 water connections in the city, but keeping in view the population, which is 15 lakh, it seems highly probable that there are more connections, which are “illegal”. As per the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act-2010, a person found illegally drawing water could be subjected to legal action.
The PHE Department gives reference to Section 159 of the Water Resources Regulation Act. Tampering with distribution pipes is an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to one year or with fine which may extend to Rs 5,000 or both. “We are committed to improving the functioning of the department. Our campaign against illegal connections will continue till people follow the rules,” said Chief Engineer, PHE, RK Gandotra.
