Mumbaikars beware. The city will experience one of the worst water crises
ever and the western suburbs will be hit first. The densely populated western suburbs, which get water primarily from two lakes, will go without water for one day every week as the lakes will dry up soon.
The city is facing its worst ever dry spell this year due to lack of monsoon. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been running from pillar to post for tackling the crisis. A 15% water cut has already been imposed on residential users but even that is of little help to tide over the crisis.
The lakes — Modaksagar and Upper Vaitarna — which provide water to the western suburbs are fast drying up and could possibly provide water only for the next 200 days. According to the civic body’s hydraulic department officials, there is no other way to beat the crisis but impose a day’s water cut in the western suburbs.
“The Upper Vaitarna and Modaksagar lakes may go dry before the next monsoon. To avoid a major water calamity, we have to cut water once in a week. The proposal will soon come up for discussion and will go for approval to the group leaders in the BMC,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the BMC has also decided to curb the water mafia in the city to stop water theft. The civic body has confiscated 260 water busters in the past one week. These were installed at pipelines in Govandi and Mankhurd with the intention of stealing water. Also, the BMC has lodged as many as 353 complaints against water thieves and 70 people have been arrested for water theft.
“The BMC has cut 570 illegal water connections in Govandi and Mankhurd,” Anil Diggikar, additional municipal commissioner, said. “The next target will be Kurla. There are also many illegal water connections in Kurla, which will be cut.” The civic body is also planning to impose the Maharashtra Prohibition of Disruptive Activities (MPDA) Act on people caught stealing water. “The home department has already directed the civic body to book water thieves if caught twice while stealing water from the civic water pipes,” Diggikar added.
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