Less than a week after it detected a deficit in the actual quantum of water supplied between Mankoli and the twin city’s entry point at Chena village, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has finally rolled up its sleeves to conduct an overall audit of its existing water network.
As against the requirement of over 225 MLD, the twin-city has an allotted supply of 211 MLD provided jointly by the MIDC (125 MLD) and Shahad Temghar- STEM (86 MLD) water supply authority. However, the actual supply hovers around below 200 MLD as the civic administration still loses a huge quantity of potable water in transit on a daily basis owing to leakages, unaccounted supply and theft.
“Apart from conducting a third party water audit to plug in-transit leakages and thefts, we as a part of our water management policy have prepared an elaborate road map to tap natural resources of water including construction of Kolhapuri-style dams, also known as KT weirs to augment supply,” said municipal commissioner Dilip Dhole.
The audit will not only weed out illegal connections, but also expose commercial exploitation of water by establishments under the guise of residential use. At present, the loss in the water supply system is much higher than the permissible limit. A shortfall of 8 to 10 MLD water supply was exposed after the installation of a measuring device at Chena. The MBMC has raised the issue with the concerned provider while flatly refusing to pay the inflated bills.
With no self-sustained resources of water supply like other civic bodies, the twin-city also faces a demographic dilemma as it falls in the tail-end of the district. Moreover, frequent disruptions owing to repair and maintenance works add to the water woes of citizens.
