Water supply cut, but no applicant for regularisation
After the gastroenteritis outbreak in Punjabi Bagh claimed two lives and over 500 others were taken ill last month, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation had disconnected over 200 handpump connections in different parts of the city and encouraged residents to take up regular water connections.The handpumps existed primarily in vehras where migrants live in large numbers. Till date, however, not even a single vehra owner has come forward to sign up for a regular connection from the MC.
This raises several questions on how the migrants continue to live in the vehras in the absence of proper water supply.
MC engineers maintain that no handpump connection has been re-installed.
Executive Engineer Manjit Singh said: “In Zone D alone, we had disconnected 60 handpump connections and even FIRs were registered against 3 vehra owners as it is their responsibility to provide drinking water and toilet facilities to those living on rent in their premises.”
Nearly 12 handpump connections were disconnected in Zone A while the others were in Zone B and C.
It, however, seems that after getting the FIRs registered, MC authorities have slept over the issue and not pursued the matter.
Executive Engineer A K Gupta also admitted that no one has come forward to regularise their connections till date.
The most probable reason, it appears is that vehra owners have once again taken to illegal methods under the nose of MC authorities who reiterated that strict action will be initiated against those who are not getting their connections regularised.
