Kurseong, April 1: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-led Kurseong Municipality has started a crackdown on illegal connections in a bid to solve the drinking water scarcity in town.

The newly elected vice-chairman of the civic board, Balaram Chettri, said today that they had already found 105 illegal connections in Tung, 4km from Kurseong, from where drinking water is supplied to the town.

Chettri said the drive against illegal connections would ease the drinking water problem in the town. “In fact, there is no scarcity of drinking water in Kurseong. The scarcity is precipitated by the unauthorised diversion of water to the houses which have not taken connection legally.”

The crackdown started a week ago.

While appealing to the people to co-operate with the authorities, the vice-chairman said the civic body would soon start checking illegal connections in Kurseong town. He said houses receiving water 24 hours a day would also be under the scanner.

The municipality distributes drinking water to each household for one hour on every alternate day.

Sources said the civic board is not contemplating slapping penalty on households with illegal water connections.

Chettri said houses pilfering water could make the connections legal by paying the municipality Rs 5,000, the amount charged for a connection through proper means. “If a resident is not ready for that, we will disconnect the lines.”

On the water scarcity faced in Monteviot area, falling under Wards 10 and 13, Chettri said a solution would be found soon.