E-Paper
Water supply diversion leaves over 1 lakh Turbhe MIDC residents thirsty
Residents of Turbhe MIDC area particular those residing in Turbhe Store, Indira Nagar, Hanuman Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Chuna Bhatti areas have been bearing the brunt of lack of adequate infrastructure provided by NMMC and the MIDC, which has reportedly diverted water other areas
NAVI MUMBAI
Touted as the 21st century city, Navi Mumbai, that prides itself in having abundant water supply unlike its neighbouring cities, has a population of over 1 lakh residents that has been suffering from irregular and acute shortage of water supply for months now, with the situation worsening in the past couple of months as summer picks up.
Residents of Turbhe MIDC area particular those residing in Turbhe Store, Indira Nagar, Hanuman Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Chuna Bhatti and nearby areas have been bearing the brunt of lack of adequate infrastructure provided by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and the whims of MIDC, which has reportedly diverted water from the region to other areas.
NMMC that owns Morbe dam supplies 24x7 water to Navi Mumbai, unlike its neighbouring cities of Panvel, Thane and Mumbai where water cuts are regularly undertaken. The civic body sources 425 million litres per day (MLD) water from Morbe for its needs. It also sources 65 MLD water from MIDC to supply to some areas in Digha, Airoli, Ghansoli, Turbhe etc, where it does not have its own water supply network.
Said Prakash Suryavanshi 42, a resident of Hanuman Nagar, “The water supply in our region is absolutely irregular. It is more of a lottery here as we have no clue when we will get the supply. At times there is no water supply for two to three days at times.”
He lamented, “At times when there is water supply, it is given after midnight, sometimes at 2 am. Are we supposed to be awake all night to check for water? Besides, the water supply is at very low pressure.”
Said Lata Dhekane 32, another resident, “I have to go for work. How can I go when there is no water? We at times do not have drinking water also. One has to wait for hours and hours and pray that we get the supply. When the supply comes, we again have to spend hours collecting the water.”
According to Mahesh Kotivale, a local Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, “The life of the residents has gone for a toss due to the water supply in the night. People have to spend all night collecting water.”
He informed, “Some people have installed water pumps to corner maximum supply to them. Those who do not have the facility get very little water due to low pressure and at times no water at all. This leads to quarrels and fights in the area in the middle of the night as residents get frustrate after hours of waiting. There are also issues when water tankers are sent by NMMC to an area while there is none for another area.”
Alleged Kotivale, “There are also instances of polluted water being supplied at times in some areas due to problems in the pipelines which pass from under nullahs and the hills. The health of the people is at a risk as a result.”
He claimed, “The residents are suffering due to the lethargy of the concerned authorities and also the personnel at the water tanks, who release water at their convenience.”
When contacted, NMMC executive engineer Manoj Patil said, “For some time now, MIDC has been diverting the water to other MIDC areas in Mira-Bhayender etc. While the other areas in the city like Digha and Airoli that get water from their pipeline as they are in the path, Turbhe doesn’t get it.”
He explained, “Hence there is no day time water supply to Turbhe during the day and resorts to supplying during night time from 10-11 pm to 6 am. It is true that at times there is no supply at all or with low pressure.”
Asked what measures NMMC is taking to provide relief to the residents, he said, “Our water tanks in the area where the MIDC water is collected from their pipeline are smaller, hence have a lower storage capacity. We are now augmenting the storage capacity.”
He informed, “We are now constructing three new bigger water tanks at Turbhe Store, Hanuman Nagar and Ganpatipada in Indira Nagar. Work is in final stages and they should be ready in the next couple of months. We will then be able to store larger quantity of water which can be supplied to residents during day time.”
For a permanent solution of NMMC network in the area, he said, “It involves a lot of infrastructure cost. It can be taken up in the future if we get government grant.”
MIDC official did not respond for comment.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
