Amidst the water shortage in Chandigarh, the Municipality is holding residents accountable for wasting water.
Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has started charging fines to residents for wasting water amidst the intensifying summers ahead. Chandigarh is already facing water shortages due to the heat and individual wastage adds more pressure on the administration.
During an inspection by the municipality,17 residents have been held accountable for wasting water during an inspection by the Municipality. The residents were fined ₹5,512 each. In addition, 57 more residents have received notices related to activities leading to water wastage. All the actions are implemented from Monday.
All these fines and notices relate to the overflowing of underground and above-the-ground water tanks and pipe leakages. The 17 residents were fined in the morning.
As per the reports Chandigarh faces severe water scarcity due to the decline of the underground water levels in the summer seasons. Chandigarh Municipality is taking various measures to tackle the growing scarcity of water.
The action commenced on April 15 to June 30. Washing vehicles and courtyards, and watering the lawns with the morning supply is now prohibited. Also, many non-essential activities like using booster pumps on the main water supply are banned. All these morning activities are banned between 5:30 am to 9 am.
Furthermore, the residents will have to pay a fine for any leakages in their tanks, coolers, and other objects that use water. As the city is about to enter the peak summer season, these steps are taken to sustain water in the city.
The fines charged this year are 5% more than last year. This shows how severe the water scarcity issue is in Chandigarh. Last year’s fine for wasting water was ₹5,250 and this year there is an increase of ₹262 adding up to ₹5,512.
In addition, if there is any leakage in tanks and pipes, residents will receive a 48-hour notice period to solve the leakage issue. However, if they fail, they will pay the fine. If they don’t do so, the amount will be added to their monthly water bill.
However, water scarcity is not an issue in Chandigarh alone. The Delhi Jal Board is facing an investigation by the CBI on the demand of the BJP. An investigation is underway for the projects carried out by the DJB for 9 years during the tenure of Arvind Kejriwal.
All the projects by DJB between 2015 and 2024 are declared as theft and waste of water. Due to this, Delhi has faced acute water shortages, affecting many especially the underprivileged.
Water scarcity has become a major concern in various states and with the intensifying heat in the coming days, the matter will worsen. All these steps by Chandigarh Municipality are taken to reduce the wastage of water by the residents.
