Mumbai : The BMC administration has decided to stop all water connections to shanties that have mushroomed around the city after the year 2000. There may be 10,000 such structures in the city. This policy drafted by the civic body’s administration will be tabled this week before the BMC’s standing committee for approval.
After a High Court order directed the BMC to provide water to all shanties in Mumbai, the civic body came up with a water policy. However, after severe political opposition, the administration has backtracked on its decision. The new policy states that roadside shanties, that have haphazardly propped up near sea shores, on the banks of nullahs, and shanties that are built on private land and are not accounted for in the civic body’s data, will not receive any water.
Since April 2014, the BMC has initiated a drive to rid the city of all illegal structures, including shanties. It had also appointed 64 officials for this purpose.
