Harsher penalties in store for water theft
The Kerala government plans to introduce harsher penalties to end the theft of drinking water from the public supply system by some apartments and commercial complexes, state Water Resources minister N K Premachandran said on Monday.
By PTI |
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government plans to introduce harsher penalties to end the theft of drinking water from the public supply system by some apartments and commercial complexes, state Water Resources minister N K Premachandran said on Monday.
The proposal includes incorporation of penal provisions like two years' imprisonment and a fine of upto Rs one lakh in the Kerala Water Supplies and Sewerages Act to tackle largescale diversion of water from the grid of Kerala Water Authority (KWA), Premachandran told the media.
Raids conducted in five apartment complexes in the state capital recently had revealed illegal diversion of huge quantities of water to them.
According to a 'modest' estimate, KWA was losing two to three million litres of water through illegal diversion, causing a big monetary loss, he said.
Premachandran said the raids would be conducted in other cities and towns and the connections would be cut on the spot if the supply was found illegal.
The amended rules, the draft of which was ready, would also have provisions for stringent action against the erring officials. The licences of the plumbers committing such malpractices would also be cancelled, he said.
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