CHANDIGARH: With summer here and city reeling under an acute water shortage, the engineering wing of Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has served notice to all 74 motor service stations in the city for using potable water to wash vehicles, an official of the civic body said on Monday.
MC executive engineer Suresh Kumar Gill said the service stations had been given a month’s time to install shallow tube-wells in their respective premises and ta ke supply from there to wash the vehicles.
“We have served notices to all service station owners, asking them not to use potable water for washing vehicles. They have been given a month’s time. If they will not comply with the orders, we will take action against them. This can include disconnection of water supply and sealing of the service stations,” Gill said.
The engineering wing’s public health division has been divided into four subdivisions, each headed by a sub-divisional officer (SDO). “Each SDO has been given the responsibility to serve the notices. After a month, each service station of the city will be checked by these SDOs,” said sources in the MC wing.
The exercise has been kicked off due to scarcity of water in the city. The matter was also raised in the monthly house meeting of the civic body authority and the members were of the view that service stations should not be allowed to use potable water for non-potable purposes.
Sources in the MC confirmed that the decision was one of the major decisions to save potable water and ensure its usage for drinking only. Since southern sectors of the city have already started facing water shortage, ensuring proper water supply is a major challenge for the civic body this summer.