Thane water crisis lifts but taps continue to run dry

Thane faces a persistent water crisis, with residents relying on private tankers amid supply cuts and allegations of illegal water connections.

THANE: The recent water crisis in Thane masks a deeper malaise, one that residents allege is leaving their taps dry. Why else is there a water shortage even after repairs were completed to the damaged water main that triggered the crisis, they ask.

The recent water crisis in Thane masks a deeper malaise, one that residents allege is leaving their taps dry. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

The damage to the main, due to tunnelling by Mahanagar Gas Limited at Kalyan Phata, saw residents across the city scrambling for a fortnight. From posh housing societies along Ghodbunder Road to the slums of Kalwa-Mumbra, residents continue to buy water from private tanker suppliers – or go without water altogether.

The damaged pipeline supplies water from the Pise reservoir to the Temghar water treatment plant. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) first imposed a 30% water cut, which escalated into a 50% cut when further damage was discovered. Since repairs were not completed by December 15, the TMC promised restoration by December 19.

However, TMC Executive Engineer Hanumant Pandey said repairs were completed on Wednesday night but it would take another 24 hours before supply is completely restored.

Thane’s residents are not convinced. Sujit Nimkar, a resident of Acme Ozone Society in Manpada, said the recent pipeline damage only escalated an existing water shortage. “This is a daily problem throughout the year, where tankers have to be arranged at our own cost. Not a day goes by when we get the supply we have been promised.” Nimkar adds, “How are private suppliers able to source water, which is then sold to us?”

Atul Kulkarni, Executive Engineer, Water Department, TMC, said, “TMC currently supplies 590 MLD of water a day, while demand is 621 MLD, resulting in a shortfall of 31 MLD.”

He says TMC receives water from four sources, all of which are in Shahpur in Thane district. These draw water from the Bhatsa Dam. “As the city’s water demand continues to rise, the shortfall is expected to increase further. In view of this, TMC has been repeatedly requesting the state government to allocate water from the Kalu and Shahi dams in Shahpur. But this demand has not been fulfilled,” said Kulkarni.

Local activists say these figures don’t tell the whole story. They claim the shortfall is around 60 MLD as the local “tanker mafia” illegally draws water from the Bhatsa pipeline, allegedly in collusion with civic officials.

Activists have found illegal water connections emerging from the Bhatsa pipeline in at least nine places. At Devrung Nala, for instance, a sanctioned half-inch line was converted into a four-inch connection, while in Muthaval, two private companies were found using six-inch illegal lines.

Civic officials have denied knowledge of illegal connections or working with private tanker suppliers, adding that they are doing their best to address the widespread water shortage.

Promises like this have little meaning for residents like Varun Nair, secretary of Dandelia CHS in Chitalsar. “Last week was a nightmare but we have been grappling with this problem for nearly two years. Each building in our complex orders two to three tankers daily, which adds up to 150–180 tankers a month,” says Nair, summing up the magnitude of the crisis.

“Whenever we write to TMC, an official visits, checks, and cleans the main line, but nothing changes. We are compelled to buy water from private vendors at around ₹2,500 per tanker,” he says.

“Shutdowns occur almost every other week. For 184 flats, our daily requirement is 90,000 litres—about nine tankers per day for a single building. Imagine the scale of this scam.”

Manoj Pradhan, Thane president of the NCP (SP), told HT, “All of Thane has suffered for the last 15 days. Residents were forced to depend on private tankers, who charged more than double the usual rate. We want to know why there is a year-long water shortage. We want answers.”