PWP threatens Navi Mum water supply shutdown over Panvel crisis, demands 20-30 MLD per day

A delegation visited the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters and sought an additional quota of 20 to 30 million litres per day (MLD) from the Morbe-linked regional supply network.

Navi Mumbai: The prolonged water crisis in Panvel escalated sharply on Tuesday after leaders of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) visited the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters and demanded an emergency water supply from Navi Mumbai. They warned of repercussions if their demand was unmet.

Navi Mumbai, India - August 3, 2018: Jalpuja at Morbe Dam in Raigad, India, on Friday, August 3, 2018. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

A delegation led by Arvind Mhatre, Opposition leader in the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC), and PWP corporator Haresh Keni visited the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters and sought an additional quota of 20 to 30 million litres per day (MLD) from the Morbe-linked regional supply network.

The leaders said several areas, including Kharghar, Taloja, Kalamboli, Kamothe and Panvel city, have faced severe water supply disruption, forcing residents to increasingly rely on tankers.

“The people of Panvel are literally parched. Our patience is wearing thin,” Mhatre said. “The water that flows to Navi Mumbai passes through the Kalamboli Circle. If our demands are not met, we will shut off that main valve. We will not allow water to flow to Navi Mumbai while Panvel remains thirsty.”

Keni blamed the shortage on long-pending projects linked to the Dehrang and Shilar dams, which have not progressed at the required pace.

However, the delegation could not meet commissioner Kailash Shinde, who was unavailable. So they met Navi Mumbai opposition leader Vijay Chougule, who assured them of a meeting with the commissioner soon.

Meanwhile, NMMC has warned that usable reserves in Morbe dam have fallen to 27.22%. Morbe is Navi Mumbai’s principal drinking water source and a key part of the wider regional network, making any additional allocation politically sensitive. No formal water cut has been announced so far in Navi Mumbai.