BJP MP Kirit Somaiya alleged that the civic water department was helping the tanker mafias.
As the city's water crisis intensifies, becoming a serious concern for citizens as well as authorities, the tanker mafias are having a heyday. Reportedly, the mafias are stealing water from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) authorised points.
Taking up the issue vociferously, BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, however, accused the civic water department of aiding the mafias. Following which, a party member filed an FIR in this regard.
Last week, Somaiya accused the tanker mafia of spinning a scam of over Rs500 crore, by purchasing potable water from BMC at the rate of one paisa per litre and selling it to the citizens for Re1 or more. He also wrote to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta, asking for an SIT to be deployed to investigate the alleged scam.
Two days later, BJP secretary Vivekanand Gupta lodged an FIR against BMC officials and tanker contractors in the city. The FIR claimed BMC's hydraulics department was hand in glove with the contractors. "There is a clear nexus between the water department's engineers and scontractors, due to which there is a wrongful financial loss to MCGM," Gupta stated in the complaint.
In the compliant, Gupta mentioned the Sheetal Water Suppliers and Vision Transport. When contacted by dna, a company official said, "We are legal water suppliers registered by the BMC. We have all the required documents. BMC officials have checked us and found nothing."
Gupta also bought up the issue of residential water being supplied to builders for their construction projects. "Water from filling points is meant exclusively for people. It can't be given for construction or sold to others. About 750 MLD (million litres per day) of water is being stolen every single day in Mumbai," he added.
According to a study done by Somaiya, 48,180 tankers supplied water across the city, of which 38,999 were privately owned. As many as 29,783 tankers supplied water to only four wards.
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