Corporators cry foul over water supply during Diwali

As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections inch closer, corporators from across the party lines have complained of a shortage in the water supply during Diwali

As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections inch closer, corporators from across the party lines have complained of a shortage in the water supply. The corporators alleged that the water supply is being deliberately affected to ruin their image among the voters, ahead of the civic body elections.

The corporators alleged that the water supply is being deliberately affected during Diwali to ruin their image among the voters, ahead of the civic body elections. (AFP)

After an uproar over the issue, the standing committee meeting of the BMC was adjourned on Tuesday.

The issue of water supply was raised by the Leader of Opposition and Congress corporator Ravi Raja, who also said that water department employees have been threatening to not work citing the transfer of an employee. Raja claimed that areas of Sion-Koliwada have been facing water shortage problems since October 16. “I was informed that the water issue would be resolved before Diwali, but nothing has happened so far. It appears that someone is deliberately tampering with the water supply in my area.”

Along with Raja, corporators across party lines including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have raised similar complaints.

Education committee chairman and Sena corporator Sandhya Doshi said that many in Borivli have complained about not receiving a proper water supply. Doshi said, “Many locals of our ward have been questioning us about erratic water supply. Such a problem during the festival time will leave a major impact on the image we built in the past 4.5 years. People are bound to remember the problems they are facing now.”

Rais Shaikh, SP group leader and corporator said, “I condemn the administration. If the leader of Opposition is not getting justice, how will other corporators get it?”

Further, Rakhi Jadhav, NCP’s group leader in the BMC said, “The corporators are being troubled for water supply ahead of BMC elections in the coming months.”

Corporators have claimed that as per the data on water stock shared by the hydraulic department, enough water is available. However, it is not being distributed properly, they said.

BJP’s nominated corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat pointed out that while the corporators were raising the pressing issue, there were no concerned authorities from the hydraulic department to make note of the grievances and work on them.

Meanwhile, additional municipal commissioner Sanjeev Kumar, who was present at the meeting, said that he did not have specific details about the water problem in the Congress corporator Ravi Raja’s ward. However, Kumar admitted that the water stock in lakes was sufficient.