BMC to restart withdrawn services by tanker association with police help

Despite the stay given to notices issued to well and borewell owners until June 15, 2025, following directives from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and union minister of Jal Shakti Chandrakant Patil, the tanker operators have not called off their withdrawal of services

MUMBAI: After the indefinite withdrawal of services called by tanker operators in opposition to the revised guidelines of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), and to avert any disruption in essential water supply during summer, the BMC on Sunday invoked the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Exercising powers under Sections 34(a) and 65(1) of the Act, the civic body is set to requisition private water tankers, wells and borewells within municipal limits.

Tanker operators withdrew services in opposition to revised guidelines of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) (Hindustan Times)

Despite the stay given to notices issued to well and borewell owners until June 15, 2025, following directives from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and union minister of Jal Shakti Chandrakant Patil, the tanker operators have not called off their withdrawal of services. Consequently, the BMC administration has enforced emergency measures in the larger public interest.

To ensure uninterrupted water supply to private housing societies and others, BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani formulated certain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The legal department and the disaster management department from the BMC jointly prepared and finalised a notification order for the requisition of water tankers along with drivers, cleaners and office staff from the tanker operators’ offices for coordination.

Upon issuance of the order, the transport commissioner requisitioned the aforementioned vehicles and personnel, deploying them to ward-level teams on Sunday evening. Each assistant commissioner (ward) constitutes a team comprising an assistant engineer (water works), pest control officer, medical officer of health (MOH), accounts officer, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) inspector and the local police inspector, to be monitored by the zonal DMCs to ensure ward-wise water supply operations.

The Executive Health Officer (EHO) will assess and communicate the requirement for RTO inspectors at each ward, based on the number of tankers and filling stations. This will be conveyed to the transport commissioner for timely deployment.

The ward team will receive requisitions for tankers from societies at the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) and get the payment received and issue receipts for water tankers to be filled at filling points. The housing societies will be required to provide evidence from the tanker operators regarding how many water tankers were provided to them daily.

The team will send the tanker to the filling points and send them to the society. Each filling point will have police protection. Payments made by societies at the CFC will reflect the prevailing market rates previously paid to private suppliers, plus 25% administrative charges, payable through cash or UPI.

Requisitioned tanker owners will be remunerated by the ward accounts officer, based on submission of supply receipts from the societies, verified by the designated team. Ward-level teams will designate subordinate officers to supervise and ensure the smooth implementation of the SOP.

Zonal deputy municipal commissioners (DMCs) and deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) will monitor the situation under their zones for smooth functioning. They will be authorised to tweak and issue instructions as per the local requirements in consultation with the additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs) and additional municipal commissioner (city).

The accounts officers will provide necessary advances to assistant commissioners for operational expenses such as fuel procurement for the tankers. A full account of such expenditures will be maintained.

Dhaval Shah, a Lokhandwala resident said, “This move was long overdue. Water is a basic necessity and it should have been implemented on the second day itself after the tanker services were withdrawn since basic necessities are covered under Essential Services Maintenance Act, as drinking water impacts the lives of crores of residents.”