The Indian Express     03.09.2012

‘Water body to be turned into residential zone, not natural lake’

The water body is located at a prime location in Wakad, which was earlier with the PCNTDA

After the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) general body meeting on Saturday approved the proposal to convert a lake at Wakad into a residential zone, Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said his administration would await the state government and the Bombay high court directives on the issue.

Amidst heated debate, the PCMC GB meeting approved the proposal to convert what the Oppostion described as a “natural lake” into a residential zone.

While the ruling NCP voted in favour of converting the lake into a residential zone, the Congress, the Shiv Sena, and the MNS voted against the proposal. 59 corporators voted in favour of the proposal, while 20 voted against it.The civic chief said the contention of the Opposition about the lake being a natural one was answered by former municipal commissioner Dilip Band.

“During the GB meeting, Shiv Sena corporator Shrirang Barne read out a report submitted by Dilip Band who had after the surveying the site said the lake was not a natural one,” Dr Pardeshi said.“The GB resolution will now be sent to the state government which will take the final call. We are also awaiting a court order,” he said.

The water body at survey number 211 is located at a prime location in Wakad, which was earlier with the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNTDA). It was later brought under the development control rules of the PCMC.

The site is shown as a water body in the development plan. A public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue was filed before the Bombay high court by Moti Mudaliar, a resident of Pimple Nilakh.

During the GB meeting, Shrirang Barne criticised the civic administration for favouring the proposal to convert the lake into a residential zone.“The lake is a natural source of water. Destroying it will harm the atmoshphere in the area,” The Congress too slammed the NCP and the administration.

Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition Kailas Kadam said, “If PCMC does not stop this illegal action, the Congress will have no option but to move the court against the PCMC administration.”

The Times of India   31.08.2012

Surat Municipal Corporation to extend time limit for regularization of illegal water connections in city

URAT: Following the very poor response from the citizens , Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to extend the limit for regularization of illegal water connections up to March 31, 2012.The three proposals for extension will come up in the coming Standing committee meeting and will be approved as in the city with a population of 46 lakh and 11 lakh registered houses, the number of legal water connections are just 5 lakh.

SMC supplies 750 MLD of potable water to more than 90 per cent areas of the city limit but the water theft through illegal connections is rampant. In the city areas like Kataragm and Varacha where illegal building constructions have taken place in large number in past , the number of illegal connections is very high.In the new developing areas of the city water meters are installed and water audit has started but the existing illegal connections are a big problem for the civic body.

NG Parekh Hydraulic Engineer SMC said, "We have planned to give one final chance to the people to get their water connections regularized . After that we will taken severe punitive action."The proposals made for the purpose are for extension up to March 2013, provide water facility to the constructions taken place before 2010 and regularize water connections for the buildings which have come up after 2010 by charging premium.