Mumbai: As the city grapples with an ongoing water crisis, the BMC is finalising a new water tanker policy that seeks to bring greater transparency and efficiency to the procurement of potable water tankers through a digital platform.
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The proposal is currently awaiting approval from Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. Under the existing policy, housing societies facing water shortages can seek additional tanker supply from the ward-level Assistant Engineer (Water Works).
Once approved, a challan is issued to BMC-owned and licensed private tankers to draw water from civic filling stations. Although water drawn from civic filling stations is monitored through daily meter records, the current challan-based system permits multiple tanker trips against a single authorisation, raising concerns over unauthorised procurement. The BMC issues challans to both its 33 tanker and licensed private water tankers.
Abhijeet Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (projects) said, "To prevent misuse and unauthorised water lifting, the BMC plans to introduce online approvals and OTP-based tanker bookings. Under the proposed system, tankers will be allowed to draw water only against a customer-generated OTP, creating a digital trail for every transaction.
The policy will also enable real-time monitoring of approvals and water drawn from civic filling stations, improving transparency and control."To strengthen oversight, the BMC plans to roll out a dedicated digital portal for granting permissions and tracking tanker operations, similar to the system used for desilting works.
The move comes amid an indefinite strike by the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA), which supplies non-potable water to construction sites, commercial establishments and other consumers, with operations suspended since June 8.
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