Mumbai’s new blueprint has errors in waste, water data

Among several shortcomings, the civic body’s blueprint for Mumbai’s development in the next 20 years has even got the amount of waste generated and the city’s water needs wrong.

Among several shortcomings, the civic body’s blueprint for Mumbai’s development in the next 20 years has even got the amount of waste generated and the city’s water needs wrong.

The draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 states the daily waste generation in the city is 7,800 tonnes. But according to the 2013-14 environment status report, the figure stands at 10,060 tonnes — a difference of 2,260 tonnes.

Also, the DP states that the water supplied to the city every day is 3,350 million litres, as

against the 3,760 million litres specified in the environment status report.

While the water demand for the current population of 12.63 million is 4,600 million litres a
day, the DP report pegs it at 4,000 million litres.

These inconsistencies were pointed out in the preliminary observations on the DP by the Urban
Design Research Institute.

The DP has cited old sources in its report such as the revised gap analysis report, revised city development plan, MCGM, 2012, and the environment status report of 2010-11 while specifying the figures.

The question that arises is what such gaffes in basic data mean for the city and whether they will affect the planning of infrastructure facilities?

“If the DP has to be successful in planning for the next 20 years, it has to start with accurate data records. These discrepancies show how the surveys are conducted by the BMC and their results are often in rough estimates. There needs to be comprehensive mapping of these facilities, including in slums, only then will the DP succeed in correctly serving the city,” said Anil Joseph, a Bandra-based civic activist.

Experts have already criticised the DP for raising the permissible FSI in the city without accounting for the burden it will cause on the physical, social, educational and medical amenities in the city.

Moreover, the DP also said the Middle Vaitarna dam, which was commissioned in October 2013 and has a yield of 455 million litres a day, as a future water supply project. Referring to the dam, the DP report said, “A dam has been proposed at around 12 km, downstream side of Upper Vaitarna,”

The dam has also not been listed in the existing sources of water supply and is, on the other hand, featured along with proposed dams such as Gargai, Pinjal, Damanganga, Kalu and Shai.