JAIPUR: Inspections of households by engineers of public health and engineering department (PHED) to check on unauthorised use of drinking water are expected to be hassle free thanks to a circular that empowers the engineers to shut down the water connections of offenders and errant residents.
The circular says how PHED engineers will carry out inspections, an official said.
"During the inspection process, the engineer shall click photos and videos of the entire proceedings as evidence. If errant residents refuse to allow engineers to enter their premises, this circular allows us to simply shut down their water connection," he added.
The circular also categorises unauthorised use of drinking water and specifies penalties to be imposed upon errant residents.
PHED secretary Samit Sharma told TOI that the department has taken punitive action on as many as 14,500 illegal connections and has lodged FIRs against 54 offenders since March 1 this year.
A housing complex in Udaipur has been slapped with a whopping fine of over Rs 5,65,000, he said.
"Now engineers across the state will take strict action under the provisions of this circular. We hope to eradicate this menace completely if the engineers start taking stern action," said Sharma.
Unauthorised use of water has been categorised as illegal connections, use of booster pumps, use of oversize pipes or ferrules, tampering or removal of meters, theft of water from PHED pipelines, and use of water for purposes other than for households (for domestic consumers).
The circular states that residents will be given the opportunity to regularise connections by paying stipulated penalties and charges for new connections. Else, PHED engineers will shut down the supply and start criminal proceedings to realise the penalties.
"It is not only PHED engineers. As per this circular, the district administration and police are equally responsible for stopping unauthorised use of water," said an official.
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