Study for improved water supply in the pipeline

The number of complaints from areas at the end of the water supply system has forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to take up a study to improve the city’s distribution.

The number of complaints from areas at the end of the water supply system has forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take up a study to improve the city’s distribution.

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Although BMC has announced 15 per cent water cuts across the city, there were a few areas where the cuts escalated to more than 40 per cent, due to their location and the lack of uniformity in the distribution system.

Areas such as Ghatkopar, Powai, parts of Sion, Mankhurd, Andheri and some other suburbs situated on high altitudes at the fag end of the supply network do not receive water when it is supplied at low pressure.

The cuts only worsened their plight.

“After monsoon, we will be undertaking a study on how the distribution system can be made more effective in these areas under the Water Distribution Improvement Project (WDIP),” said Chief Hydraulic Engineer, Vinay Deshpande. “We have requested proposals to begin the study. It will be done zone-wise.”

In the last six months, tankers have made 16,500 trips to these areas to supply water. This has cost the BMC Rs 2.35 crore.

The BMC helpline 108, for water related complaints launched in November had received 3,195 complaints until April. Most of these were about partial or no water supply.

Two years ago the civic administration, amidst opposition, had appointed six contractors to maintain, operate and repair the zonal water distribution systems at a cost of Rs 20 crore for each zone.

City is reeling under an unprecedented water crisis, which seems to be stabilising with the early advent of monsoon.

Although the existing demand of water is 4,200 million litres a day (MLD), the city receives 3,400 MLD water with a loss of 700 MLD through leakages and pilferage.

The Water Distribution Improvement Project will also include detecting and fixing leaking pipelines and installing new pipelines.