Ranchi: Tightening its grip on the commercial exploitation of groundwater, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) carried out inspections across three Reverse Osmosis (RO) water bottling units in the Morhabadi area, penalising them for illegal operations, it said in a statement.The crackdown, conducted by the civic body’s water supply wing on Monday, revealed that all three facilities were functioning without valid municipal licences. Taking immediate action, officials slapped an on-the-spot fine of Rs 50,000 on each non-compliant unit, imposing a total of Rs 1.50 lakh in penalties.The RMC issued a strict directive appealing to all commercial RO plant operators in the city to regularise their operations. The civic body has fixed a fee of Rs 25,000 for fresh licence issuance and Rs 20,000 for annual renewals. Officials confirmed that around 90 applications have been submitted for processing so far.Operators have been instructed to secure necessary regulatory clearances at the earliest, with the corporation warning of harsher measures, including the immediate sealing of premises, against defaulting units. The civic body stated that sustained drives against unauthorised groundwater extraction, unlicensed jar water units and illegal connections will continue unabated across the state capital.
