During the drive which was launched on Monday, as many as 100 odd consumers were served notices for watering lawns and installing tulu pumps boosters directly on water supply line. Under the notice, the water connection could be cut under the Punjab Municipal Act.

Officials supervising the operation said that the tulu pumps, boosters and rubber pipes used for irrigating lawns were taken in custody. It would be returned to the consumers individually on production of affidavits ensuring that the act would not be repeated. The constitution of a task force has been necessitated following increase in incidence of watering of lawns during supply hour from 4 to 9 o'clock in the morning. Four teams of the task force comprising five MC workers each, headed by Sub- Divisional Officers (SDOs), would assist the Executive Engineers concerned in detecting cases of tampering with the water supply, said MC officials.

As per the break-up made available at the office of the Municipal Corporation, of 100 cases, 10 were detected in Sector 44, 21 in Sector 33, 3 in Sector 31 and 30, Sector 7 each, 6 in Sector 32, 7 in Sector 27, 15 in Sector 28, 10 in Sector 4 and 11 in Sector 5.

Although consumers had been warned through public notices of the consequences of such violations, yet no concrete change in customers' attitude was visible during the operation, officials regretted. ``The operation will remain in force till June 15 when the onset of monsoon is expected''.

Such violations of watering of lawns were more in case of Punjab and Haryana ministers and bureaucrats. Their attempt to scuttle the operation by using their influence has not been allowed by the task force, the officials elaborate. Replying to a question, officials said the vehicle owners would also be prosecuted during the drive for using drinking water for cleansing the vehicles. In order to avoid harassment, the people should avoid washing vehicles, specially in the morning, it was said.

The problem of water shortage starts aggravating after mercury crosses 35 degree celsius mark and turns acute after 45 degree celsius.

Trippings affected water supply: SE
Water supply in various parts of the city was affected following major breakdown in power supply at Sector 39 Water Works. The problem began at 11 a.m. yesterday night and continued for four hours till 4 a.m. today. Frequent power trippings were also observed at 7 a.m., Water Works officials pointed out. Superintending Engineer of UT Electricity (Operation), S.C. Chawla, said that power supply was affected following trippings in 220-KV Mohali Sub-station. The supply was restored within an hour after the fault was detected, he added.

Residents of southern sectors of Chandigarh and some parts of Mohali were the worst sufferers of this fall-out.

Residents of Sector 38-B and 38-C have also complained that power went off in some part of the area at 11.45 am and was not restored till late this evening. Chawla, when contacted, said that he was in touch with the officials of the department, who were making efforts to rectify the cable that had burnt this morning leading to the breakdown. Residents of Sector 20-A have also complained of low voltage in their sector in the morning.