Mumbai: City, suburbs face severe water shortage

Citizens in the Mumbai western suburbs of Jogeshwari and Goregaon are facing a severe water crisis. The problem was faced in Colaba as well.

While some neighbourhoods have been without water for several days at a time, others have had to rely on additional supplies from water tankers, which cost over ₹6,000 for a 20,000-litre tanker.

Parts of Ghatkopar, Khar, Kandivali, and Chandivali are also in similar condition, though not as severe.

A Colaba resident told Times of India that there has not been a drop of water in their society leaving them with no option but depend on water tankers.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared on March 27 that parts of the city and the eastern suburbs would face a 15 per cent water cut for two days due to a pipeline being damaged during the box culvert work being performed by Maharashtra State Road Corporation Limited (MSRDC) in Thane.

A day later, it was announced that a builder during an ongoing construction project damaged the 15-kilometer water tunnel that brings water to the Bhandup Complex for supply to the city, causing a month-long water cut across Mumbai.

Water supply less than the mandated cut

However, citizens in many residential areas have complained about receiving water that is significantly less than the mandated cut.

Residents of Bandrekarwadi, in Jogeshwari east, have had to queue for hours to fill a few buckets of drinking water in the last two to three days due to a severe crisis.

The civic body blamed the problem in Goregaon and neighbouring Jogeshwari on a water pipeline burst at the JVLR and subsequent repairs.

An official from the Hydraulic Engineering Department told Hindustan Times that a 15 per cent water cut in the city often translates to 80 per cent cuts in many homes.

This is due to low pressure during the water supply - the water does not reach the end in some areas and may necessitate the use of additional machinery to generate adequate pressure, he said.