Summer’s here. Save water bodies

A British author, while referring to Indian English, recently said that we have a penchant for using the ‘present continuous’ tense rather than the simple present. In the same vein, Mumbai’s rulers have shown their proclivity for the future continuous rather than the simple future, as that helps them keep an issue in perpetual abeyance. They would still have you believe that summer will be coming, rather than that summer has come. And with it water problems.

When was the last time you heard the BMC speak of a contingency plan to combat scarcity that has hit the megapolis almost every year, leading to cuts in water supply? Thanks to propitious rains, we were spared the diminished supply last year. But the time to contemplate a possible crisis has come again, what with the mercury threatening to soar to unprecedented levels. Rain gods have often played truant and what if they decide to give the city another tough time this year? The city is then staring at a parched summer. The suburbs are already feeling the pinch. I am not trying to be scary, but it’s already March-end, remember?

Here’s where I need to applaud the initiative taken by the residents’ associations from Andheri, Versova, Bandra and Powai to safeguard the lakes in their areas. With several water bodies—at least 30 in and around the city, Mumbai shouldn’t be facing shortage, not at least of non-potable water. But the threats lurk everywhere — people dumping solid waste and garbage, while debris from construction sites are thrown into the water bodies. We have seen fountains and other embellishments around many lakes, but the water is far from clean. There is an immediate need to educate the masses, just as it is imperative to ensure that water bodies don’t become a pit for industrial waste and debris from construction sites.

The way residents have come forward to preserve the water bodies in Juhu, Lokhandwala lake and Bandra talao is commendable. That’s the panacea in a city afflicted by an inept administration — direct action by people (I had mentioned the same in case of protecting open spaces in one of my earlier columns). It’s time we went ahead and forced ward officials to address the issue. It’s time to force the elected representatives of the civic body to get down to preserving the water bodies and setting aside funds for their upkeep. Even democracies have limits of tolerance, really.

I do not personally subscribe to residents adopting water bodies. If we take over, contribute money and maintain the lakes, what will BMC do — relish the fruits of inaction? What I suggest is a policy whereby citizens would join the civic body to protect them. Subsequent to mapping and categorisation of the water bodies, citizens can help BMC maintain them, keep vigil that they aren’t made filthy and contribute to creating awareness among residents.

If the civic authorities have a scintilla of shame left, they will grab this opportunity.