RMC had set September 15 as the deadline for
regularizing such connections. From today, the civic body will impose a
fine of Rs 3,000 to all those households and other establishments where
illegal connections are detected. Acting tough, the RMC has also
decided to lodge a police complaint against those who are found drawing
water illegally even after being penalized.

On Tuesday alone
nearly 2,000 applications, for regularization of water connections, were
received at the three offices. V C Rajyaguru, city engineer of the
water works department, told TOI, “We are going to keep all three zonal
offices open till midnight and accept the applications. RMC charges Rs
2,000 for new water connections.

RMC has launched a massive
drive against illegal water connections in the city since July 15 and
has so far disconnected over 1,800 illegal connections, most of them
residential. “There are around 12,000 illegal water connections and 2.57
lakh regular water connections in the city,” said an official.

RMC is aiming to reduce the non-revenue water supply and increase
regular water connections. “Earlier, we had regularized around 4,000
illegal connections,” he said.

Sources said that most of the
illegal water connections were found in newly developing residential
areas in the east and west zones.