The wells are within the compound of Pandya Mansion next to Kalbadevi Post office in Dhobi Talao
Call it the case of shirking responsibility or waiting for the courts to take one. Two wells in a building have been acknowledged to be unauthorised by authorities but no action is taken so far.
The wells are within the compound of Pandya Mansion next to Kalbadevi Post office in Dhobi Talao. Sureshkumar Dhoka, the complainant has approached the National Green Tribunal, Pune for justice. He alleges that the authorities are not acting despite losing crores as water is sold.
Dhoka began to protest when water tankers would block the space outside his office and lead to mosquito breeding which he suspects ended up landing his son in the hospital due to dengue. "With no permission, there is fear that ground water table will be disturbed leading to shifting of soil which can be dangerous to the building structure," said Dhoka. The two wells are being used to fill the water-tankers that come through the day and night. There are special pipes that run around the periphery of the building between the ground and the first floor. A plastic pipe attached to these pipes runs over the footpath to fill up the queued tankers.
Wells being unauthorised came to light first in March 2015 during a first appeal hearing of RTI. Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) of C Ward (Kalbadevi) criticised the public information officer for not providing the inspection report of the wells. He stated in the appeal order that the BMC are unauthorised and that directives be given to file court cases against those drawing water from them illegally.
"If they know it is illegal, why file a complaint in court instead of shutting it? " said Dhoka. His belief that BMC is delaying action strengthened when BEST's letter to BMC also stated that wells are unauthorised and water meter pumps can be disconnected. The Traffic department wrote to BMC stating "As per your records it is known that wells are unauthorised and filling water is illegal", the pipe that provides water should be cut so that traffic issues do not crop up. "We cut pipes but they were put again. There is a process that has to be followed. Since it is not BMC land, we cannot take action instantly. I do not have details if wells are unauthorised and that the matter is pending for years together," claimed Jivak Ghegadmal, AMC of C Ward.
"The fact that no action is taken by authorities speaks for itself. I would not like to comment," said Prakash Pandya, one of the landlords. Arun Karun Shankar Mishra who has rented water filling facility and owns tanks said, "This is private property and wells belong to the landlord. We are sure that the landlord pays taxes. All other wells in the area are working in the same manner."
The affidavit filed by senior hydrogeologist with the Central Ground Water Board to the NGT states that since water is drawn from the well by use of energy, permission needs to be taken from them for the same.
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