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Water loss in Mumbai at 50% is highest in country: Report

Citizens continue to suffer with inadequate supply, while risk of water contamination looms large too.

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Water cuts are over and the lakes, which supply water to citizens, stand full at the optimum level, yet citizens’ water woes continue. The city needs 4,200 million litres per day (MLD), but it is supplied only 3,400 MLD.

Citizens are struggling with a supply demand gap of 800 MLD of water every day. Not only is the supply inadequate but also erratic. The menace of inequitable water distribution is still troubling civic officials.

Worse still, experts also state that Mumbai has the highest amount of water loss in the country. Reports show that 40% to 50% of water is lost due to pilferage and broken down age-old pipelines. Remaining is lost due to thefts and faulty water meters.

“Water loss in other states border on 20%, Mumbai’s needs to be controlled. India’s annual per capita availability of renewable freshwater is reducing tremendously. In 1990, freshwater was 2,464 cubic metres. In 1995, it stood at 5,277 cubic metres and has fallen by 50% till date. By 2025, it will further plunge and is projected to be a meagre 1,000 cubic metres,” said S Subramaniam, co-founder of the Earth water group. The water gap, which today stands at 800 MLD, will widen due to the rate of population growth, he added.

Meanwhile, the risk of water contamination is also looming over the city. “Chances of presence of contaminants like fluorides and nitrates cannot be overlooked. Water pipelines in the city are century-old and ought to be repaired,” Subramaniam said.

Water expert Peter Cartwright claimed that the water can be conserved without enhancing its supply through varied measures. “The focus ought to be on grey water recycling and rainwater harvesting,” Cartwright said.

The BMC has approved the bylaws that grey water recycling is mandatory for every residential building spread over 2,000 sq m or having more than 60 dwellings. However, the bylaws have not been implemented so far. Moreover, any new residential construction cannot be issued an occupational certificate unless it has provision of rainwater harvesting.

“The water used in kitchen and bathroom can be reused in toilets and for gardening and non-potable purposes. This way of water conservation has to be practiced. Also rainwater harvesting will not only allow groundwater table to rise but will also reduce salinity in groundwater aquifers,” Cartwright added.
A senior civic officials from the hydraulic department said that the repair of the water pipelines is undertaken on a need basis. “Whenever there is any complaint of pilferage in pipelines, the problem is dealt on a priority basis. Timely monitoring of water contamination is also practised. The water samples are regularly tested and contaminants are kept at bay,” the official said.

BMC is setting up a recycling plant at Ghatkopar. This will add 150 MLD to the existing supply, he added.

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