BMC to form expert panel to tackle water crisis

The minister of state for urban development, Yogesh Sagar, was responding to a calling-attention motion tabled in the Council by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Rahul Narvekar over shortage of water supply in south Mumbai.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been asked to form a committee of experts who will be able to suggest measures to tackle shortage of drinking water owing to poor rain, the state government said on Thursday.

In 2016, CM Devendra Fadnavis had directed the civic body to set up a panel of independent experts, to come up with solutions to save water and work out equitable distribution of water. (HT Photo)

The minister of state for urban development, Yogesh Sagar, was responding to a calling-attention motion tabled in the Council by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Rahul Narvekar over shortage of water supply in south Mumbai. “If the lakes do not get the requisite amount of water content, the experts can plan in advance. For instance, the committee will be activated if there is less than 11 lakh million litres of water in our lakes after the monsoon,’’ Sagar later elaborated to Hindustan Times.

This comes in the backdrop of a 10% water cut in Mumbai since November 2018.

He assured the Council the BMC will be directed to implement its report on equitable water distribution across the city. “The report on equitable distribution of water is ready. We will ask the BMC to implement it.”

In 2016, CM Devendra Fadnavis had directed the civic body to set up a panel of independent experts, to come up with solutions to save water and work out equitable distribution of water. Following this, the BMC hired experts and completed its report, which lists short-term and long-term measures to augment water supply. The report has now been submitted to the state.

Among other measures, Sagar said the BMC will now set up flow metres in all 258 zones of water supply in the city. Flow metres help gauge the quantity of water that goes through a system, and will help calculate the amount of water received by an area. Pressure gauges will also be set up at key points where water needs to be sent uphill to residential or commercial connections.

Sagar gave BMC the permission to hire more staff if necessary, so all state government directives are followed on time.