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PCMC identifies 13,824 illegal water connections in first phase of crackdown
According to the officials, illegal connections account for 25-30% of the city’s water losses. This pilot project covering 30,500 households across 10 zones has already reduced non revenue water (NRW) by 5-8%. If expanded, losses could be cut to below 20%, which is the desired national benchmark.
Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC’s) massive door-to-door drive, launched in February, to curb illegal water connections in the twin city has so far resulted in identification of 13,824 unauthorised connections. A total of 20,000 connections were surveyed in the first phase that ended in July, out of which 1,883 households were legalised with water meters, civic officials said on Thursday, adding that the second phase will begin soon.
According to the officials, illegal connections account for 25-30% of the city’s water losses. This pilot project covering 30,500 households across 10 zones has already reduced non revenue water (NRW) by 5-8%. If expanded, losses could be cut to below 20%, which is the desired national benchmark.
The civic body is also installing water meters and diverting supply to authorised connections from the unauthorised ones. The project was launched after illegal water connections were identified as a major source of potable water contamination within PCMC limits. In July last year, Bhosari reported a cholera outbreak that left over 100 people hospitalised and more than 160 others suffering from water-borne illnesses.
Investigations revealed that unauthorised connections were the root cause of the contamination, the officials said, adding that according to their estimate, the twin city has nearly 40,000 such connections, which also worsen the city’s water scarcity.
According to PCMC records, the twin city receives 630-640 million litres of water daily, but billing is done for only 386 MLD. Nearly 40% of this supply is classified as non-revenue water (NRW) - lost due to leakages, unmetered government supply, and illegal connections.
Additional municipal commissioner, PCMC, Pradeep Jambhale Patil, said that the civic body has also rolled out a policy to regularise household connections with minimal paperwork. “A separate tender has been floated to legalise nearly 30,000 connections and install modern AMR ultrasonic water meters for accurate billing,” he said.
Municipal commissioner, PCMC, Shekhar Singh, said the move will not only reduce financial losses but also ensure safer and fairer distribution of water. “Authorised pipelines will replace unsafe, leaky GI pipes with durable MDPE fittings, preventing contamination and reducing wastage. By regularising 30,000 connections, PCMC will recover annual revenue losses of ₹30 crore while ensuring a more reliable and sustainable water supply for citizens,” he said.
