Power to be restored to 13 shut regional water schemes in Chandrapur district, govt order issued

The way has opened to restart water supply schemes in Chandrapur district that were shut because of unpaid electricity bills. The Energy Department issued a government order on October 30, 2026. According to information provided by the office of MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, 13 regional schemes in the district will benefit.

The schemes have been shut over electricity dues of about Rs 4.92 crore. About 1.75 lakh people in around 190 villages of the district depend on them. Power supply will be restored once the security deposit and reconnection charges are paid.

A total of 33 regional water supply schemes are run in Chandrapur district through the Zilla Parishad and the Shikhar Samiti. Of these, 20 are currently supplying water. The remaining 13 schemes owe electricity bills of about Rs 4 crore 92 lakh 68 thousand and are therefore shut. With water sources drying up in drought-like conditions, the power cuts had made the drinking water problem in these villages more serious.

Against this backdrop, Mungantiwar had demanded before the government that villagers should not have to scramble for drinking water in drought-like conditions and that the schemes shut over the bills be restarted. He submitted a representation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and raised the matter with the government in a phone conversation with Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal.

On September 25, he also held a meeting with Chandrapur District Collector Vasumana Pant and took stock of all the shut schemes. At the meeting he drew the district administration's attention to the need for the administrative action required to start the schemes quickly. He said the district administration, too, should work in coordination to resolve the matter of the unpaid bills.

Mungantiwar then demanded that the government pay the dues from the drought relief or water scarcity fund and that the shut schemes be started immediately. He also cited the 2018 drought, when the government decided to pay the electricity bills of rural piped water supply schemes from the scarcity fund. He urged that the government take a special decision on the same lines in the present conditions.

According to the Energy Department's government order, power to public water supply schemes shut because of dues will be restored after the payment of a security deposit equal to one month's bill and reconnection charges. New electricity connections held up because of dues will also be given on payment of the fees required under the rules. The order allows the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) fund, the scarcity fund or other available funds to be used for the security deposit and reconnection charges.

Mungantiwar raised the issue continuously, from the district administration to the highest level of government. The Energy Department took this decision after the meeting with the District Collector, the representation to the Chief Minister and the talks with the Chief Secretary. About 1 lakh 75 thousand people in 190 villages troubled by the 13 shut schemes in Chandrapur district will get relief. The way is now open for these schemes to restart as soon as possible once the required action under the government order is completed.