Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has formed two special squads to disconnect the water supply of housing societies that have failed to make their sewage treatment plants (STPs) operational despite repeated notices.The move came a day after Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) chairman Siddhesh Kadam announced a statewide audit of housing societies and warned of action against complexes without functional STPs.A senior official from the PCMC water supply department said squad members have been deputed to assist the environment department.PCMC’s environment department has listed 62 housing societies for immediate action as they have failed to comply with the rules despite being served three notices, said its executive engineer Yogesh Alhat. City engineer and head of PCMC’s environment department Sanjay Kulkarni confirmed that proceedings have begun.When asked whether the civic body can disconnect water supply despite it being a basic necessity, a senior PCMC official said such action is permissible under the UDCPR and environmental norms. He said larger housing societies were required to treat sewage and reuse the treated water for non-potable purposes such as gardening, so that their dependence on fresh water supply is reduced.Earlier this year, PCMC surveyed residential societies to check compliance with mandatory STP norms. During the drive, 99 societies were found to have non-functional STPs, following which notices were issued. As per rules, housing societies with more than 100 flats or a built-up area of 20,000sqm are required to install and operate STPs. Pimpri Chinchwad has around 494 such societies.The civic body had launched a similar drive in June last year, during which water supply to several housing societies, particularly in Chikhali and Moshi, was disconnected. However, the move triggered protests from residents and office-bearers of housing society federations, following which the drive was halted.Sanjeevan Sangle, president of the Chikhali-Moshi Pimpri Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation, said that in many societies where STPs were non-functional, the fault lies with developers who handed over either defective or poor-quality plants to residents.“The PCMC building permission department issued completion certificates to these projects even though their STPs were either not operational or of substandard quality. Instead of taking action against developers or its own officials, the civic body is targeting residents who are not at fault,” he said, adding that the federation would protest against the move.
