Pimpri Chinchwad has around 1.9 lakh authorised water connections
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) detected at least 13,500 unauthorised water connections and installed smart water meters at these properties as part of its ongoing crackdown.
A senior water supply department official said a private agency was appointed to install smart meters wherever illegal connections were found, with the installation cost recovered from property owners. “Most unauthorised connections were detected at individual houses, commercial structures and some housing societies, while slum areas have been excluded from the drive,” the official said.
Pimpri Chinchwad has around 1.9 lakh authorised water connections, compared with over 7.3 lakh properties registered with PCMC property tax department. The proposed project is estimated to cost Rs 667 crore, including supporting infrastructure. Each smart meter is priced at Rs 8,000-8,500. The battery-powered meters have an expected lifespan of about 10 years.
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Officials said discussions with the World Bank on potential project funding were under way, with at least three rounds of talks already held. “The system will enable automated billing, with water bills eventually being delivered directly to consumers via cellphones and email,” another PCMC official said. Instead of imposing penalties, PCMC has decided to regularise the connections following a resolution passed by the general body. Installation of smart meters forms a key part of the regularisation process. The issue of unauthorised connections has repeatedly been raised in general body meetings. PCMC also plans a citywide rollout of smart water meters. PCMC is also exploring a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Unlike conventional mechanical meters, the proposed ultrasonic smart meters have no moving parts and measure consumption by tracking the time taken by water to travel between two points inside the device. Download the TOI App.