Water outage a ploy to garner support for desalination plant, say Gorai residents

Residents said that following their protest against the proposed 400-million-litres-per-day (MLD) desalination plant on October 19 at the Mumbai Suburban Collector’s office, local ward officials told them about an imminent 50% water cut and even showed them a notice regarding the same

Mumbai: Residents of Gorai, Madh, Manori and Uttan, who hit the streets in large numbers last week to oppose the proposed desalination plant at Manori, have accused the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of pressuring them to support the project by withholding water supply for the past four days.

Fishers and other residents staged a protest against the proposed 400-million-litres-per-day (MLD) desalination plant on October 19 at the Mumbai Suburban Collector’s office. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The accusation follows reports about an imminent 50% water cut in the area, though the civic body’s hydraulic department has denied any such plan, saying the entire city was facing a 10% water cut due to shortage of stock in reservoirs.

Residents of the area told Hindustan Times that following their protest against the proposed 400-million-litres-per-day (MLD) desalination plant on October 19 at the Mumbai Suburban Collector’s office, local ward officials told them about an imminent 50% water cut and even showed them a notice regarding the same.

“We were told that Gorai, Manori, Uttan and Madh would face a 50% water cut. But for the past four days, we have not been getting water at all,” said Ronny D, a Gorai resident. “The BMC, it seems, wants to deliberately create more shortages to strengthen the need for the desalination project.”

Speaking along similar lines, Neville D’Souza said, “Leave aside a 50% water cut – we haven’t received any water for the past four days. We are agitating against the desalination project, but it seems they are putting pressure on us by depriving us of our basic rights. We are in talks with lawyers to move court tomorrow.”

Residents said that nearly 25,000 people were affected by the lack of water supply and they were managing somehow by fetching water from nearby wells and lakes, and using bottled water for drinking purposes.

The Watchdog Foundation, a nonprofit, has filed a formal complaint regarding the alleged 50% water cut with the P-north ward office in Malad West. The complaint, signed by trustees Nicholas Almeida and advocate Godfrey Pimenta, along with advocate Vivian D’Souza, says the decision must be put on hold pending an independent inquiry. It also seeks the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission and the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission over violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which protects the right to life and has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to live with human dignity.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a senior official from the BMC’s hydraulic department said there had been no official announcement of a 50% water cut in P/North or R/Central ward. The official acknowledged that Gorai and Manori receive water through P/North ward but said localised distribution problems could be affecting some areas.

“Due to the overall scarcity, there is a 10% water cut across the city. There may be some areas in Gorai and Manori that are getting less or no water, but it is a local issue,” the official said.

Mumbai’s water distribution network was extensive and localities at the far ends of the system could experience supply problems, the official noted. “Residents facing disruptions should approach the hydraulic department to have the issue resolved,” he said.

The official also dismissed allegations about connections between stalled water supply and residents’ opposition to the desalination project. “The two issues are entirely unrelated,” he said.

In its complaint, Watchdog Foundation said that any reduction in water supply must be supported by transparent technical justification and implemented proportionately. It warned that a 50% cut, if imposed without adequate safeguards or clear communication, could cause severe hardship to thousands of residents, particularly senior citizens, children, persons with disabilities and economically disadvantaged families.

The foundation sought an independent investigation into the technical grounds for the reported decision, the officials responsible for approving it, and connections, if any, between the proposed reduction and the desalination project. It also urged the municipal commissioner to direct the P/North ward administration to put the reported reduction on hold until its technical necessity and potential impact had been independently assessed.