Faridabad MC's notice to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on water, sewerage connections

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 23

The Faridabad Municipal Corporation has issued a notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and asked it to submit a reply on the issue of regularisation of water and sewerage connections and the recovery of civic charges, within a week.

The water and sewerage connections to nine stations of the Metro rail in the city have not been regularised. The MC has also not recovered the property tax dues since the start of the Metro rail service in the city in 2015. The matter was taken up in a meeting held between MC Commissioner Yashpal Yadav and a senior official of the DMRC on Tuesday.

A civic body official said the DMRC, which is yet to get the water and sewerage connections regularised for its stations here, has been asked to submit the details and documents regarding the exemptions, if any, for availing the civic amenities.

The DMRC had rolled out the Metro rail in the city in 2015. While the DMRC has reportedly claimed that it enjoys certain exemptions regarding approvals from the local authorities, it gets water supply from borewells approved by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

According to Ajay Bahl, a local resident, who had moved an RTI petition in 2017, the MC had failed to take action despite a huge financial loss. In March, the State Information Commission had directed the Haryana Urban Local Bodies Department to conduct a probe into the matter in response to the RTI application. As per the sources, the city has over 2.5 lakh unauthorised water and sewerage connections.

Dharam Pal Tahlan, Chief Town Planner, MC, said a final notice will be issued after the receipt of the reply to the queries raised by the civic body with the DMRC.

The queries include the status of the water and sewage connections, fire NOC and submission of the property and trade licence fee for leasing out the DMRC station premises.