Kolhapur civic body fined for poor water supply

Kolhapur District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has imposed a Rs30,000 fine on the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) for irregular water supply in a few parts of the city.
Forum chairman MD Deshmukh and member VN Shinde announced the judgment on Friday.

The case is related to irregular water supply in the suburb areas, namely Jaragnagar, Balavdhutnagar and Swami Samarthnagar. The citizens from these areas have formed an action committee for water supply.

Residents Narayan Kulkarni and Shankar Ramchandra Shinde had last year approached the forum on behalf of the committee. The duo claimed that there was no water supply in these areas for almost 18 days between January 21 and February 21, 2010.

Insufficient water of odd 50 litres per day per person was supplied on other days. The citizens also said that the KMC did not heed to their memoranda. It has been pointed out that water supply was irregular despite construction of an overhead water tank of 15 lakh litre capacity for these areas.

Deshmukh and Shinde ruled that an essential commodity like sufficient water is a citizen’s right and fined KMC Rs25,000 for troubles caused to the complainants and Rs5,000 as compensation for the cost of the case.

KMC’s civic secretary Umesh Randive told DNA that the civic body will appeal against the case.