Water-starved residents of BDD flats block Mhada site office to protest

The water supply duration reportedly ranges from five minutes to 45 instead of the promised 24x7 service. Dr P K Jain, a resident, told Hindustan Times that the shortage existed from the time when only about 40% of flats were occupied. “Now that figure has touched over 80% and the acuteness of the issue has intensified,” he said

MUMBAI: Irate residents of the Bombay Development Department (BDD)’s newly redeveloped buildings at Naigaon on Wednesday blocked the construction site where sale flats are being constructed in order to protest against the acute water shortage they have been facing for over three months. The blockade was to draw the attention of Mhada officials, who work in an office on the site.

Water-starved residents of BDD flats block Mhada site office to protest

The occupants of the erstwhile British-era BDD chawls were handed the 864 apartments from March 16 onwards with great fanfare by CM Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar. Residents have formally approached Mhada with their grievances but claim that they are being ignored after the government was through with earning its “political credit” during the handover ceremony.

The water supply duration reportedly ranges from five minutes to 45 instead of the promised 24x7 service. Dr P K Jain, a resident, told Hindustan Times that the shortage existed from the time when only about 40% of flats were occupied. “Now that figure has touched over 80% and the acuteness of the issue has intensified,” he said.

Residents have installed interior tanks to store the scarce water. “Among the dos and don’ts issued by Mhada, one was permission to install a water tank of up to 250 litres,” said Jain. “But not even half of it gets filled in the five minutes of water supply.” When contacted, a Mhada official stated that the crisis had arisen because people had installed water tanks of a much larger capacity as well as booster pumps. Countering this, residents claimed that Mhada had removed such installations, yet the problem remained unresolved.

Laxman Singh, another resident, told HT that some families were refusing to move into the two-BHK flats due to the water crisis and preferred to stay in smaller transit accommodation. Many said they regretted taking possession and were better off earlier.

Mhada’s vice-president and CEO did not respond to calls and messages from HT.