The Chandigarh district court has issued a notice to the Municipal Corporation (MC) of Chandigarh, following a civil suit filed by Residents’ Welfare Forum of Sector 32, seeking directions to restrain the MC from reducing water pressure and water supply in Sector 32 A, and for giving permission to install submersible for water. Advertising The notice has been issued by the Court of Sachin Kumar, Civil Judge (Junior Division), to the chief engineer of public health at the MC and to Home Secretary, Chandigarh Administration. The court has directed the MC to file a status report pertaining to the matter on the next scheduled date of hearing on May 20. Advocate Anuj Kumar Sharma, counsel of the Residents’ Welfare Forum of Sector 32, argued in the petition that the 39 members of the forum belong to house numbers 251 to 289 and were facing problem of water supply despite paying water charges as per their consumption, along with maintenance, sewerage, meter rental and service charges to the MC on the bill generated. It has been submitted in the plea that since 3-4 years, the complainants were suffering from an acute problem of water shortage in the area. The residents were regularly complaining to the MC and were always assured that new pipelines from Kajauli waterworks would be soon installed to ensure smooth and proper water supply pressure in Sector 32 A are and the entire city. Advertising Meanwhile, in March 2019, the complainants were assured by the MC that the city had enough water to meet its demand and there would be no shortage of water in the summer. Now, the MC is reducing the water supply in Sector 32 A in order to provide water in VIP sectors and slum areas- the vote bank for political parties. Due to this, the complainants are not able to meet their water demands even though the MC compels them to fill their overhead tanks. The petition further mentions that the MC must install submersible pumps so as to fetch water from land directly. The petitioners urged that it is the duty of Chandigarh Administration to provide basic amenities like water, clean air and light to every tax payer and citizen of the city. The forum submitted a complaint on April 30, 2019, to the MC about low water pressure in the area. At that time, the water pressure was increased but that was only for sometime. The pressure was subsequently reduced. On May 7, 2019, one of the member of the forum contacted an MC official but the official disconnected the phone instead of providing a complaint number and increasing water pressure. Advocate Sharma argued that the MC was playing hide-and-seek with forum members and was harassing them. It is for this reason, a civil suit has been filed in court.

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