MUMBAI, March 31 -- With the onset of summer and rising cases of unpaid water bills, the BMC's hydraulic department has taken a stringent step: it has pasted public notices across wards, warning defaulters to clear dues by March 31 or face a disconnection of water supply. The move is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted water supply across the city and improving bill recovery, particularly in areas with high default rates. "There are housing societies and especially slums where water bills are always pending," said a BMC official from the hydraulic department of F North ward. "In slums, only 50% pay the water bill. We have issued an ultimatum to them." The BMC will also adopt stricter water meter regulation. It has directed residents to ensure that their meters are in working condition and warned that if faulty water meters are not repaired within six months, bills with double consumption charges will be drawn up. The move comes after the civic body amended key provisions of the Water Volume Regulations and Sewage and Waste Disposal Regulations, 2011, introducing stricter rules for faulty and unread private water meters across the city. The BMC official clarified that additional charges will not apply during the period when the meter is under repair or replacement. "The daily water requirement or the consumption calculated based on previous actual usage, whichever is higher, will be considered for billing," he said. "However, this additional charge will not apply during the period when the meter is being repaired or replaced." The revised rules also address cases where water meters are unavailable for reading or buried for more than six months. "We use water meters to take readings but if they are stolen or deliberately removed or buried, we cannot take readings and issue bills regularly," said the BMC official. "We have faced these problems and had to find a permanent solution. Double charges will be imposed for such meters, but only 25 percent charges will be imposed for faulty meters that need repairs." The official added that the revised rules had been in force since July 1, 2025, but many consumers were still unaware of the amendment. The BMC has therefore urged all citizens and cooperative housing societies to repair or replace faulty private meters immediately to avoid higher charges and ensure smooth functioning of the water supply system. Residents have welcomed the move on water meters, especially in the context of recurring summer water shortages and tanker dependency in several parts of the city. "Summertime gets very difficult for us, as hundreds of water complaints from shortage to theft to contamination come from all kinds of buildings, slums and housing societies," said Payal Shah, a civic activist from Sion....