Once-a-week water cut from mid-Jan

The city will have to get used to getting water only six days a week in the new year. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will implement its no-water-once-a-week scheme for two weeks on an experimental basis across the city.

The city will have to get used to getting water only six days a week in the new year.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will implement its no-water-once-a-week scheme for two weeks on an experimental basis across the city.

Due to dipping water levels in the lakes supplying water to Mumbai and the resultant 15 per cent cut, the pressure of water was low making it difficult for hilly areas or those located at the fag end of the distribution line to get water.

“We were getting a lot of complaints from areas on the elevation. Hence to solve problems we have decided to realign the
zones to ensure better water supply,” said Municipal Commissioner, Swadheen Kshatriya.

Realignment or zoning of the water distribution mechanism means that different areas will be clubbed into one zone and the water supply pattern of that zone will be reworked so that water is supplied with steady pressure.

There are 108 water supply zones in the city, which will be divided into seven zones — two in city, two in western suburbs and three in eastern suburbs. Each zone will have to face a 100 per cent cut once a week.

The timings and quantity of the water supplied to a zone on the six days of the week may be altered.

“We will observe this experiment for two weeks and if we find that the water supply has improved then we will continue it,” said Kshatriya.

Currently the total water stocks in the six lakes is 7.38 lakh million litres as against 9.62 lakh million litres this time, last year.

The eastern suburbs have 203 days worth of water left compared to 185 and 215 days for western suburbs and the island city respectively.

“We will issue the new water supply timings and a detailed list of the days when the zones will not get water by first week of January,” added Kshatriya.

Ravindra Waikar, Standing Committee chairman said, “If water stocks have to be maintained until July 15 then no water once a week is the only option.”