Bagga slams civic body for 'secret' increase in water cut

NASHIK: The civic officials came under the scanner on Tuesday evening for secretly increasing the cut in the daily water supply of the city.
Deputy mayor Gurmeet Bagga and Shiv Sena city chief Ajay Boraste found that the civic officials had increased the water cut by 10% from February 5 without seeking permission of the general body.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has been supplying water once a day with 15% cut in daily water supply since October.In December, the general body of the NMC resolved to supply water six days in a week. But the guardian minister wrote to the civic body forbidding it to impose the once-in-a-week cut.
Recently, the guardian minister increased the reservation of water by 300 mcft, but a shortfall for 27 days still remains to be tackled. As a solution, the civic administration decided to impose additional 10% water cut on experimental basis.
Bagga and Boraste met mayor Ashok Murtadak and summoned superintending engineer UB Pawar, who has been given additional charge of the water supply department.
"We lift 350 mld water every day. On February 5, 6 and 7, we lifted 310 mld. If the guardian minister has increased the reservation by 300 mcft, then what was the need to increase the daily water cut by 10%?" questioned Bagga.
Pawar said, "Despite the increase in 300 mcft reservation, there is a shortfall of 26-27 days. We started the 10% cut from February 5 on experimental basis to know if we can manage."
Murtadak, Bagga and Boraste told Pawar that he had not sought the permission of the general body for doing so, which was mandatory. The administration is likely to be taken to task in the general body meeting next week, source said.