MNS survey finds 400 wells in Andheri filled with debris

At a time when the city is facing a scarcity of water, more than 400 wells with potable drinking water have been found to be filled with debris in the Andheri area alone. The K-West ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has a record of at least 465 such wells but a survey conducted by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) found that most of these well have been filled up with debris and other waste material.

“The BMC provides more than 500 water tankers to builders in the area for construction purposes daily. The water given to them is potable water and if these wells are cleaned and maintained then they can be used for drinking purpose by residents,” said MNS Andheri chief Kishor Mayekar. The MNS had recently taken a morcha to the ward office demanding a clean up of the wells.

An official from the ward office confirmed that there are many wells which can be utilised for drinkable water after cleaning. “We have taken cognizance of the issue. So far we have cleaned 30 wells and the remaining will also be cleaned soon,” he said.

The BMC has announced a 15 per cent water cut in the city in view of shortage of rainfall and has already warned that the city will be have to face more water cuts if there is not enough rainfall.