Water till recently was the lookout of the civic authorities; with it becoming a sparse commodity in the city of Mumbai, it is soon turning out to be a police business.
Neighbours are on a high alert and are reporting to the authorities any suspected hanky-panky on the water front.
All these are leading to water arrests, as never before, as the water crisis has reached the doorstep of each Mumbaikar. There have been 24 arrests — and as many as 96 FIRs — in the last fortnight for water pilferage across the city; the latest being over the last four days, when two big catches have been made by the police in south Mumbai, with a little help from residents.
Chira Bazaar, where catfights take place over water, residents have become alert. The residents have caught the alleged theft on their cameras and alerted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the police and local politicians to trap those drawing water illegally from municipal taps.
Added to this, on Tuesday, the BMC had a meeting with the police and chalked out a plan to bring to book the water thieves. Municipal commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya impressed upon police commissioner D Sivanandhan of the need for police protection during the water theft raids.
In the meeting held on Tuesday, the BMC has identified and supplied the police with a list of areas where water theft is common. The list was topped by Versova, Kurla, Mankhurd and Gundavali at Andheri, all of which will be soon under the scanner.
Residents of Vegas Street (Chira Bazaar lane) told DNA that they had been keeping a close watch on all those who have connected a booster pump to a BMC tap and drawing water illegally. Many of these are men who are making business by selling the water.
“We heard about the BMC’s action and we have been scouting for illegal connections,” Manisha Rane told DNA. “We have found two and since last week we have managed to get them arrested.”
Fed up of getting little water since the last one year, the residents began taking turns to keep a watch on Gamermal Dhangar’s, a neo-resident of south Mumbai, illegal activities. They took turns to keep a watch on his movements. “We would see drums loaded on to carts lining up every morning, while we were busy struggling to fill water in our buckets at homes,” said Sunita Shah, a resident of Vegas Street.
The modus operandi allegedly used by Dhangar involved a BMC water connection, putting a pipe to it and filling up cartloads of water to residents of the nearby towers. “He had taken an illegal connection from a municipal tap by attaching a one-and-a-half inch pipe, then he attached a booster pump and he would draw water every morning,” said a resident.
The residents of Vegas Street then approacheda Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activist Arvind Gawde. “We took the help of LT Marg police and the residents were ready with their camera. The BMC officers cut Dhangar’s connection and he was arrested by the LT Marg police,” said Gawde.
A resident said, “We get little or no water in this area and that too for only an hour. We would be busy with water filling as we have no pump, while this man would draw 10 cartloads every day, which is nearly 1,000 litres daily.”
BMC officials said that Dhangar’s business flourished as the residents from the nearby buildings were willing to pay Rs500 per drum of water.
“The BMC charges Rs3 per bucket. We have learnt this man would charge anything between Rs5 to Rs10 per bucket,” said an investigating officer. “One cart can cost anything from Rs500, which was a lucrative business for him. We have booked Dhangar for his illegal activities.”
Involvement of civic staff in the pilferage is not ruled out, said police sources.
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