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Chandigarh: Apply for tertiary water in 15 days or face fine
On Tuesday, the Chandigarh MC set a 15-day deadline for non-compliant residential and institutional properties to apply for the connections or face a penalty
Intensifying its crackdown on properties not getting the mandatory tertiary treated (TT) water connections installed, the municipal corporation (MC) has decided to penalise the violators.
On Tuesday, the corporation set a 15-day deadline for non-compliant residential and institutional properties to apply for the connections or face a penalty.
In December 2024, the MC House had passed a resolution to impose a penalty equivalent to 7.5% of the total water bill on properties not taking TT water connection despite repeated notices.
As per the Chandigarh Water Supply Bylaws, 2015, the use of TT water is compulsory in all houses/institutions sized one kanal and above.
The bylaws made TT water connections compulsory within three months from the date of notification, but the civic body has found that out of 7,385 eligible houses, only 3,334 have opted for the connection so far.
The civic body has identified 4,051 non-compliant properties and already issued notices to 2,358. Following the notices, 900 property owners have applied for the connection, while the rest have been given a final 15-day deadline.
The situation is similar among institutions. Out of 414 establishments required to switch to TT water, only 154 have complied. Notices have been issued to the 154 violators.
Apply through mobile app
“Residents are requested to apply for the connections in the next 15 days on the ‘I’m Chandigarh’ app, failing which, a penalty will be imposed. Special teams have been made to ensure that connections are provided at the earliest. MC is dedicated to saving potable water,” said MC officials.
Through tertiary treatment, sewage water is made suitable for irrigation through chemical treatment and sedimentation process. It is the final stage of the wastewater cleaning process to make it suitable for irrigation and related activities. The treated water’s biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) should be less than 10 mg.
At present, for the residential sector, MC charges a flat rate of ₹50 per kanal area per month for TT water supply. For commercial use, the charge is ₹7 per kilolitre.
The TT water is supplied from MC’s six STPs — 3BRD, Dhanas, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Maloya and Diggian, upgraded at a cost of ₹650 crore in 2023 under the Smart City Mission.
Chandigarh generates 220 million litres of wastewater/sewage daily, which is treated at these state-of-the-art STPs to bring the BOD level under 10 mg per litre.
Use of TT water for irrigation is one of the main objectives of the City Water Action Plan (CWAP) to conserve ground and potable water.
8 challaned, 180 issued notices for wasting water
As part of its further efforts to conserve potable water, MC on Tuesday slapped ₹5,788 fines on eight residents for wasting water in the morning hours and issued notices to 180 violators.
Most of the violators penalised were found washing cars and courtyards between 5.30 am and 9 am. Municipal teams also collected photographic and video evidence of violations for record-keeping.
In the first instance, violators are issued a notice if found wasting potable water, including washing vehicles or courtyards, watering lawns, using booster pumps on the main water supply line, and wastage due to leakages in coolers, water meters or from overflowing tanks. If overhead or underground tanks are found overflowing, or if there are pipe leaks, residents will first be served a 48-hour notice to fix the issue.
If the violation is not rectified, a challan of ₹5,788 is imposed. The fine amount is added to the resident’s water bill if left unpaid. Though MC had started the awareness drive from April 12, the challaning commenced on Tuesday.
This year, the MC has also expanded its annual water conservation enforcement from a seasonal campaign to a year-round initiative. The action follows orders from municipal commissioner Amit Kumar, who has urged residents to prevent water wastage and adopt conservation practices.
