Corporators threaten BMC over water woes

Even while the six lakes, which provide water to Mumbai, are filled to the brim, the municipal corporation is still not able to provide water to certain parts of the city.

Even while the six lakes, which provide water to Mumbai, are filled to the brim, the municipal corporation is still not able to provide water to certain parts of the city.

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The reason: Technical problems in the distribution system. Corporators in the standing committee blamed the civic body’s hydraulic department for being ineffective in improving the distribution system and also threatened to take to the streets.

“With the lakes full, there should be no reason why the civic body can’t supply sufficient water to citizens,” said BJP corporator Yogesh Sagar, adding that areas from Goregaon to Dahisar should get 635 million litres daily (MLD) water, but since the last few days, these areas are getting only 605 MLD. He also demanded that with all lakes overflowing, the civic bodyshould withdraw the water cuts for the entire year rather than reviewing them on October 1 and then deciding.

Rajul Patel, the Shiv Sena coporator from Andheri, said even when there were no water cuts, her ward wasn’t getting enough water. Patel has threatened to go on a hunger strike inside the additional municipal commissioner’s cabin if the water woes in her ward were not resolved.

Chief hydraulic engineer Vinay Deshpande admitted that there were a few technical problems in the distribution system like old valves, rickety pipelines, and said that the civic body is trying to replace them soon.

According to Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashish Kumar Singh, the water supply has been affected, as since the last three days, the water levels in the Master Balance Reservoirs (MBR) have not been up to the mark.