Mumbai: Ruling corporators oppose water supply to illegal slums

For the second time in a row, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joined hands with the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in the BMC to shoot down a civic administration proposal to legalise water connections to slums erected after January 2000. The Bombay High Court, had in December last year, directed the civic body to consider the same.

While the Congress and Samajwadi Party supported the proposal, the ruling parties and the MNS turned it down by majority vote stating that it will only encourage popping up of more illegal slums.

Division bench of Justice AS Oak and AS Gadkari, while agreeing that illegal slums must be demolished, said water supply cannot be denied to these slums until they are razed.

Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party leader in the BMC said, "Access to potable water is a citizen's right. How can anyone deny a fundamental right, that too in violation of the High Court directive. This amounts to contempt of court."

However, ruling Shiv Sena and BJP, backed by MNS, stood their ground stating that illegal slums should not be given water and they should be razed at the earliest.

Sandeep Deshpande, MNS leader in the BMC said, "Mumbai is already overburdened with illegal immigrant population and legalising water connections will only encourage their burgeoning."

Manoj Kotak, BJP leader in the BMC, pointed out that earlier the civic body had claimed that due to rise in population city's sewerage system is burdened. "49 percent of the population does not have sewerage facilities, still BMC charges sewerage tax from them. Similarly, won't such a decision leave an impact on water supply?" he asked.

Congress corporators Asif Zakaria and Sheetal Mhatre, however, accused the BMC of adopting double standards. "If illegal buildings can get access to water, why can't slums? If water supply is given by BMC, it can address many connected issues. The role played by water mafias can be brought down. Illegal connections, which amount to water theft, can be brought under control. The issue of water contamination, a serious concern for the civic body, too can be addressed to an extent," said Zakaria.

Ramesh Korgaonkar, Sena, said there is already a 20 percent water cut in place. "How can illegal slums be accommodated when tax payers are struggling for their daily quota of water," he asked.