Scarcity creates water activists in Mumbai

Water scarcity in the city is bringing out new shades in civic activism. On Wednesday, residents of a gaothan in Malad partnered civic agencies in a demolition drive. The goal — to chase away elements looking to exhaust a valuable source of water.

Hutments had begun encroaching and reclaiming two natural water ponds located at Ali Talao in Kharodi at Malad, when residents of the Malvani Koliwada decided to step in.

The residents were enraged since the ponds are used as a source for watering plants in their local shrine’s premises. Kiran Bhandari, a resident, said, “Pond water was also used for the bathing and washing needs of people residing in the vicinity.”

The illegal encroachments started surfacing at the site about two months ago, Bhandari said. He added, “Push came to shove when the encroachers began reclaiming the pond a few days ago.”

Residents brought this matter to the notice of local political leaders and the civic agencies, and pursued it enough to force the powers-that-be to press for action against the encroachers.

On Wednesday, when the civic agencies, the collector and local ward office staff arrived at the site for demolition, the residents volunteered to participate in the clean-up drive. While the official machinery razed the 350-odd hutments which had sprung up near the pond, the residents started erecting barbed fence wires around the water bodies to ensure that the structures do not resurface.

Applauding the public participation, local MLA Aslam Shaikh announced his intention to conserve the ponds. “Local residents have shown the way. I will now put in an effort to ensure the water yield of the ponds is increased,” he said.