by Haryananewswire (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, JUNE 27
The Haryana Government has formulated Haryana
State Rural Water Policy 2012 to save precious drinking water by prevention of
wastage through public stand posts, open taps and unmetered connections.
While
stating this today, a spokesman of the Public Health Engineering Department
said that this policy has been formulated keeping in view the present
scenario of high percentage of wastage of water through unmetered connections
provided to the consumers in rural areas which are being billed on flat rate
basis. The policy reflects resolve of the State Government to bring about
conservation of water and prevent wastage and reduction in non-revenue water in
rural areas of the State. It embodies the optimum use of water which is the
nation’s limited resource.
He said that under this policy individual
household metered connections would be provided to 50 per cent rural population
by the end of 12th Five Year Plan. Also, the consumers would be
billed on the basis of volumetric consumption of water instead of flat rates,
he added.
He said
that the policy would be mandatory for all types of consumers namely domestic,
commercial, industrial and institutional sectors in the private, semi government
premises. He said that the policy would have the force of administrative
regulations and it would bind all participant, stakeholders, and personnel to
enforceable performance. The policy would be applicable to all service
providing authorities namely Public Health Engineering Department, Housing
Board, Haryana Urban Development Authority, Haryana State Industrial and
Infrastructure Development Corporation, Development and Panchayats Department
or any other department or Government authority dealing with the subject.
He said
that there would be a State Level Empowered Committee under the Chairmanship of
Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government, Public Health
Engineering Department which would include representatives of all the service
providing authorities. The committee would aim at streamlining the
implementation of the policy and grievances redressal system. He said that the
committee would have full powers to take decisions in respect of policy
contents and changes in the procedure to be adopted. The decisions taken by the
committee would be implemented by the authorities in the field and the progress
of the implementation of the policy would be reviewed periodically, he added.
He said that in case the meter is found not
functioning, the consumer would get it repaired or replaced within one month at
his own cost, otherwise he would be charged penal rate to be decided by the
authority from time to time. All consumers having unmetered water connections
would have to install the meters of reputed make with ISI mark having good
performance at their own cost. No water connection with ferrule size of more
than 6mm diameter for domestic consumers would be allowed, he added.
He said
that any insanitary connection, if detected by the department, would be
disconnected immediately without giving any notice and would be restored only
after necessary rectification by consumer with a fine or penalty to be fixed by
authorities. He said that installation of electric or mechanical pumps direct
on supply line would not be allowed to any consumer. He said that a penalty of
Rs 1200 would be levied wherever such pumps installed direct on supply line are
detected. It would be directed by Public Health Engineering Department to all consumers
through handbills proclamation that direct online pumps would be confiscated
and supply to the defaulting consumer would be disconnected.
He said
that Haryana State has declared incentives to village Panchayats for promoting
water conservation. The village Panchayats who ensure provision of taps on all
the private and public connections and a minimum of 75 per cent of the
households having sanctioned private water connections in the village would be
eligible for incentives for water conservation. He said that the amount of
reward would be Rs 20,000 for village with population up to 2000, Rs 30,000 for
village with population between 2000 and 3000, Rs 40,000 for village with
population between 3000 and 4000 and Rs 50,000 for village with population more
than 4000.
He said
that Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) are being constituted and
these committees would be entrusted with the task of encouraging the public to
take metered water connections in the rural areas. He said that the revenue
collected through water charge would be given to the Panchayats for development
works and for carrying effective maintenance of the schemes.
He said that in case of any dispute of water
bills, the consumer would approach the concerned Executive Engineer for dispute
redressal by paying 50 per cent of the disputed amount along with the
application. The application, not accompanied by the proof of deposit of 50 per
cent amount, would not be entertained. He said that the consume could file an
appeal to the concerned Superintending Engineer within 30 days of issue of the
order of dispute redressal by the Executive Engineer provided that the consumer
has already paid 50 per cent of the specified disputed amount. He said that the
decision of Superintending Engineer would be final and binding on both the
parties.
He said that the consumers
would be divided into two broad categories namely Domestic and Commercial,
Industrial as well as Institutional. The domestic category would include
premises used for residence, hostels of education institutions of the
Government, working women’s hostels run by the Government, Government
recognized destitute homes, orphanage, charitable homes, blind schools, schools
for physically handicapped persons, spastic children, piaos meant for drinking
purposes and place of worship, cremation ground and cemetery.
He said
that the operation and maintenance of distribution system along with revenue
collection could be done through outsourcing in a phased manner. The outsourced
agency would be provided with the metered bulk supply for further distribution
to the consumers and it would also facilitate the release of new connections by
the authority.
He said
that Water and Power Thana have been setup across the State. The domain of
these thanas would also include the enforcement of law for implementation of
this policy.
He said
that the State Government would be the competent authority for any amendment in
this policy on the recommendations of State Level Empowered Committee.
No comments:
Post a Comment