Bhubaneswar: Residents will shortly get a chance to convert their unauthorised water supply connection into an authorised one with the Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo) beginning a drive to identify such unauthorised users and offering them a chance to regularise the connections.

The move has been initiated with an objective to curb loss of drinking water by stopping such water theft through unauthorised connection.

"Unauthorised connection is one of the prime reasons of loss of drinking water that is calculated as the non-revenue water. We have decided to identify such illegal connections and regularise them," said a Pheo official. The Pheo has decided to take the help of recently-engaged ward water monitors at the bottom level for the survey. "We are surveying the houses for extending the water supply network with the help of ward water monitors. They will look after the unauthorised connections and urge people to regularise them," said the official.

"We have provisions to take legal action against unauthorised users. Yet, we will first try to convince them to regularise the connections," said another official of the organisation. Pheo supplies about 295.30 million litres of water to households in Bhubaneswar every day. But, almost half of it is lost during supply because of pipeline leakages, water theft and unauthorised connections.