The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to deny water and drainage connections to the promoters of the illegally constructed buildings.
A KMC buildings department official said, this denial could act as a deterrent and bring down the number of unauthorized constructions. The KMC buildings department will share the list of under-construction buildings, borough-wise which will be given a building permit by the department and issuance of subsequent completion certificate (CC) with the water supply and drainage departments so that these department officials come to know the number of buildings constructed with permission from the buildings wing.
According to the KMC buildings rules, the civic body’s water supply and drainage departments sanction or grant water supply and drainage connections to promoters after they obtain a CC after completion of the construction obeying all rules according to the plan sanctioned prior to start of construction.
However, a KMC buildings department official conceded that a section of unscrupulous promoters engaged in constructing unauthorized buildings managed to get water supply and drainage connections from the boroughs without a CC. “There is no denying that promoters of hundreds of illegally constructed buildings have enough influence in the local councillor’s office that gives them access to our water supply and drainage departments in the borough. Some of our own officials are also at fault. The system of managing water and drainage connections has been going on for decades,” said a KMC official at the headquarters.
According to a KMC water supply department official, in several cases of illegally constructed buildings, the promoter flees the project site after the construction and sale of flats without applying for water connections. “In such cases, considering the plight of the residents of the buildings we grant water connections,” said the civic official.
“Besides managing to get water connections without a sanctioned plan, residents of several such buildings tap KMC water illegally from the roadside. We have asked our officials in the borough to prevent such loss of water,” said a KMC water supply department official.