The drive has earned the MC a revenue of Rs 1.36 crore. The drive was started in December and drew to a close yesterday.

Municipal Commissioner Vikas Partap said, "We had launched the scheme to encourage people to get their connections regularised; I am happy with the response."

It needs to be mentioned that a number of residents had connected their water and sewer pipes with the main lines of the MC and had not deposited the requisite fee. This was causing revenue losses to the civic body. At the same time, the MC had also repeatedly blamed illegal connections for the repeated gastro outbreaks in various areas of the city.

While nearly two lakh connections are presently regular, a survey conducted by the MC three years ago had put the figure of illegal connections at 20,000. The number is liable to have risen with the mushrooming of more illegal colonies over the past three years.