Mumbai, May 5: Several corporators have moved notices of motion ahead of the upcoming BMC house meeting, demanding urgent and long-term measures to strengthen Mumbai’s water security as the civic body prepares to impose a 10% water cut from May 15.
Reservoir levels and supply outlook
The proposals include groundwater protection, desilting of lakes, pipeline leak detection, rainwater harvesting and installation of borewells for non-drinking purposes.
The BMC announced the water cut citing falling lake levels and concerns over below-normal rainfall. As of May 5, Mumbai’s seven lakes held 3.71 lakh million litres of water, or 25.66% of total capacity, compared to 22.66% during the same period last year.
At the current daily supply of 4,100 ML, the stock is expected to last around 90 days. However, concerns over erratic monsoon patterns linked to El Nino have prompted the civic body to introduce restrictions to stretch supplies till August.
BJP corporator Rita Makwana has sought stricter groundwater safeguards during redevelopment projects, alleging that piling, drilling and dewatering activities are drying nearby wells. She has demanded mandatory hydrogeological studies, regulated dewatering and compulsory recharge and rainwater harvesting systems for developers.
Leakages, desilting, and infrastructure concerns
Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporator Varsha Tembvalkar has demanded advanced inspection cameras in water pipelines to detect leakages and contamination. According to civic data, nearly 34% of Mumbai’s daily water supply is lost through theft and leakages.
Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde has sought regular desilting of the seven lakes before monsoon to improve storage capacity, while NCP corporator Saeeda Khan proposed diverting surplus monsoon water from Konkan towards Mumbai as a future reserve.
Calls for long-term water solutions
Saeeda Khan, NCP corporator, demanded, "A project should be undertaken to divert the surplus billions of litres of monsoon rainwater from the Konkan region, which flows into the sea, towards Mumbai. This would create a “water bank” for the city’s expanding needs and help significantly address future water scarcity."
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Meanwhile, the BMC has sought additional water from the reserve stock of the Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarna lakes from the state government, which is yet to be approved, and is also considering restrictions on commercial water usage through potential water cuts.
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