As Nashik grapples with erratic water supply, a shocking revelation has come to light: 40% of water is wasted due to leakages. The problem is further compounded by widespread water theft. To solve this problem, the municipal corporation is preparing to launch a drive to identify unauthorized water connections. This unit will involve a thorough inspection of the size of the water connections and whether the water is pumped using motors.

The city’s water needs are met by the Gangapur Dam. Despite having over 2 lakh water connections, the city is facing severe water wastage of around 40%. The discrepancy between the water released by the municipal corporation and the number of official connections indicates the extent of the problem. To solve this, the corporation decided to engage a private agency to conduct a survey.

Water tax collection is affected

Due to lack of manpower in the revenue collection department, property tax and water tax collection was less than optimal. To improve this, the municipal corporation has decided to outsource the bill distribution system. After receiving a positive response from a committee formed to raise revenue, the water supply department and property department will work together to distribute bills, identify unauthorized connections and inspect their dimensions.

By outsourcing, the names, addresses, two mobile numbers and email IDs of all properties in the city will be collected. This comprehensive database will be shared with various revenue departments. Similar to how electricity bills are distributed by the utility company, property tax and water bills will also be distributed through outsourcing. As part of this survey, the water connections will be inspected.