Panvel civic body starts alternate day water supply

Navi Mumbai

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Alarmed by the depleting water level at Dehrang dam, the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has again imposed alternate day water supply in Panvel nodes.

The civic body said the move would help ensure water supply till June.

Jameer lengrekar, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “The alternate day water supply has been imposed to ensure that the dam water lasts till monsoon. We will also ensure that water cut does not impact daily routine of the people. We will provide water tankers as and when required.”

Panvel depends on water from Dehrang dam.

Residents said that the civic body has been unable to solve the water problem in the node.

“We got uninterrupted water supply only for a few months. Alternate day water supply means adjusting our routine as per the water supply days,” said Ravindra Ahuja, 40 a Panvel resident.

The problem was highlighted during Assembly elections and candidates had promised to solve the problem.

“We were promised that water problem would be taken care of, but instead, it has aggravated,” said Subodh Patil, 40 a Panvel resident.

Panvel needs 20 mld water but gets only 10 mld.

Panvel gets 6 mld water from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and 4 mld from Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran.

In the coming years, PCMC will take over Kharghar, Kamothe and Taloja nodes. The entire PCMC will then require 230 mld water.

Panvel-based activist Kantilal Kadu said, “The need of hour is to increase the height of Dehrang dam to 12 feet. Desilting of the dam should be done immediately and leakages repaired. The civic body should also look at building a new dam as it will require more water.”

PCMC officials said they would desilt Dehrang dam.

A PCMC official said, “Increasing water-holding capacity of Dehrang dam might help us to get more water and. We will soon look at desilting the dam.”