Every Drop Counts: New meters will curb water theft in Mumbai

The Hydraulic Engineering Department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will check water withdrawal from its tanker filling points. The department will ensure water meters are installed at all filing points within two months. The tankers, coming for a refill, will also have to follow a colour code according to the policy.

With 10 per cent official water cut across the city, the civic body is taking all measures to conserve water. Last week, the civic chief directed the hydraulic engineering department to install water meters at all 18 tanker filing points across the city. "The purpose of a water meter is to check illegal withdrawal of water if there is any," said a senior official from the engineering department. He added that this will also help the department to check how much water was given through tankers.

In addition, the tankers coming for a refil at the designated points will have to follow a colour code. "The policy was already framed a year ago. However, we want it to be executed as well," said the official. He added that tankers being used for not potable water purpose can not be used for potable water or municipal services.

In the past, there were allegations that tanker mafias in the city were causing huge loss to BMC with illegal refiling water at all the 18 filling points. Following allegations, the civic chief had directed the civic hydraulic and health departments to prepare the comprehensive water tanker policy guidelines for water tankers. In April 2017, the civic body brought new tanker policy for waters. As per the new policy, it is mandatory to install water meters and night vision closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at tanker-filling points. It also made the health department's license compulsory for every tanker.

At present, Mumbai has 18 tanker-filling points and at all these points, water meters have to be fixed, where the record of water lifted and water filled in tankers will be maintained. In case of any discrepancy found in the record, an inquiry will be conducted into it.

The policy also stressed that each water tanker needs a separate license issued by the Medical Officer of Health (MHO) under whose jurisdiction the office of the owner of the water tanker is situated. "The license granted for transportation of water through tanker shall specifically mention the nature of trade, either as potable water tanker or non potable water tanker," said the official. According to an official from the hydraulic engineering department, there is need to streamline private water tankers as there will be demand in days to come owing to the current water cut in the city.

WATER CUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS

2015 20 per cent water cut imposed in July when water stock was below 28 per cent compared to the previous year. The water cut remained throughout the year till next monsoon

2014 City faced 20 per cent in July as the water stock could last for only 30 days 

2009 The city had faced severe water problems. In 2009, Mumbai had faced 15 to 30 per cent water cuts 

1993 was the worst phase when the city faced 40 per cent water cuts throughout the year