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Pimpri-Chinchwad: Residents of housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad have opposed the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s proposal on Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and sewerage connection charges. The Chikhali-Moshi-Charholi-Pimpri-Chinchwad Housing Society Federation has warned of a strong agitation if the decision is implemented without addressing the concerns raised by housing societies.
The federation has questioned the financial burden on thousands of societies and lakhs of residents. It has also sought clarity on whether citizens could effectively be charged twice for sewerage-related infrastructure. The proposal was approved by the PCMC general body on September 2 under Subject No. 4. Federation chairman Sanjivan Sangle alleged that the proposal was passed despite several issues remaining unclear.
Federation questions charges
According to the federation, the proposal includes a charge of ₹500 per residential flat and ₹10,000 per sewerage connection. The federation has sought clarification on whether these are charges for two different services. It has also questioned whether residents could end up paying twice for the same sewerage infrastructure.
Sangle said the civic administration and the ruling party should explain the proposal before imposing any financial burden on residents. “It is unfair to take a decision on a matter affecting lakhs of citizens across thousands of societies without consulting the federation that represents them,” Sangle said.
He said every aspect of the proposal should be made clear before its implementation.
Developer liability questioned
The federation has also raised concerns about older housing projects. It wants PCMC to clarify who will pay the sewerage connection charges for such societies. It has also questioned whether developers will remain responsible for infrastructure-related charges connected to projects they developed.
Sangle said residents should not be made responsible for costs that should be borne by developers. The federation has warned that any attempt to shift such costs to housing societies will face strong opposition. The federation has also raised the issue of societies that operate their own STPs.
Many housing societies treat sewage within their premises and reuse treated water. The federation said such societies should not be penalised with additional charges if they properly maintain their STPs and follow the required practices.
It has also asked PCMC to consider incentives or concessions for societies that reuse more treated water. The federation has cited a target of 50% treated-water reuse and claimed that the actual level is around 30%. It has sought an explanation for the gap.
Demand for transparency
The federation has also demanded clarity on how the money collected through the proposed charges will be used. It wants details on the use of funds, monitoring of the money and the mechanism for maintaining transparency.
Sangle accused the BJP of using its majority in the civic body to pass the proposal despite objections from housing societies. He also criticised PCMC over what he described as a lack of basic amenities in some housing societies.
“Treating housing societies merely as a source of revenue and victimising residents every time is unacceptable,” Sangle said. He warned that the federation would strongly oppose the decision if the concerns of society residents were not addressed.
PCMC response awaited
The federation’s objections mainly concern how the proposed charges will work and who will ultimately have to pay them.
There has been no substantive public response from PCMC officials specifically addressing Sangle’s objections in the material available for this report.
The civic administration will now face pressure to clarify the fee structure, developer liability, treatment of societies with their own STPs and the use of the money collected.
The dispute is not over the need for STP and sewerage infrastructure itself. The key questions are who should pay for it, whether residents could face double charging and how societies already operating their own STPs will be treated.
