Your car wash costs the city

You can keep a Mumbaikar from his car, but not his car from the daily car wash. This is amply evidenced by the fact that despite facing its worst water crisis ever, the city’s nearly 2 million vehicle owners continue to splash 20 million litres on their vehicles every day.

According to estimates, there are over six lakh cars, seven lakh two wheelers, more than a lakh three wheelers, two lakh tempos, 55,000 taxis and about two lakh buses and trucks in the city. Besides, nearly 1.50 lakh vehicles float in and out of Mumbai every day. Though heavy vehicles consume higher quantity of water for cleaning, and two wheelers much less, on an average, about 10 litres of water is consumed on this daily ritual.

But not all are unaware of the implications of the largesse. “It is a chore that goes with the culture of the city. It is very difficult to abandon the practice all of a sudden, but I have decided to skip my car wash on two days a week,” said Nitin Dossa, a noted automobile expert.

“The authorities must provide cheaper community car wash centres with facilities for water conservation or recycling. The housing societies should also make arrangements for use of recycled water, and create awareness that it is not necessary to wash vehicles every day,” said Sudhir Badami, another expert in the field.