SRINAGAR: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department in Kulgam has warned that water connections of consumers with unpaid bills will be disconnected from April 1 if dues are not cleared by March 31, officials said.
Executive Engineer PHE/JJM Division Kulgam, Er Ishfaq Hamid Wani, said the department has issued notices to defaulters and urged consumers to clear their pending bills online within the stipulated deadline.
The move comes amid mounting unpaid water tax dues in the district, which officials said have reached around Rs 10 crore, impacting the department’s ability to sustain services and infrastructure.
Wani said that while the department has ensured water supply to households, many consumers have failed to pay their dues.
“We are providing uninterrupted water supply, but people also have a responsibility to pay their water bills,” he said.
He added that revenue generated through water tax contributes to developmental activities, including maintenance of infrastructure and payment of employees’ salaries.
Officials said that strict action will be taken against defaulters after the deadline.
“We have already issued a warning that from April 1, connections of defaulters will be disconnected, whether commercial or public use,” Wani said.
The Executive Engineer also said that cases of illegal water connections have been identified and are being processed.
“Those who have illegal connections will be brought under the system and updated as regular consumers,” he said.
People have been advised to use online payment modes to clear dues and avoid disruption in water supply.
He said that the department is monitoring compliance and will take further steps depending on the response from consumers in the coming days. [KNT]
