Mumbai, June 9: Following a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and assurances that notices issued by the Revenue Department and the BMC to tanker operators would be withdrawn, the Mumbai Water Tankers Association (MWTA) on Tuesday evening called off its two-day strike that had begun at midnight on Sunday.
The decision came as a major relief for housing societies, the Railways, commercial establishments and construction sites across the city, which had been grappling with concerns over water supply disruptions caused by the agitation of private water tanker operators.
Strike called over registration and licensing dispute
MWTA had launched an indefinite strike from midnight on Sunday over disputes related to registration and licensing requirements, triggering concerns of a worsening water crisis at a time when the city was already facing a strained water supply situation. The deadlock was resolved after a meeting with the Chief Minister on Tuesday.
“In the meeting with the Chief Minister, we were assured that the notices issued to well operators and water suppliers would be withdrawn. We were also asked to meet the Mumbai Collector in Bandra, where officials assured us that no action would be taken against tanker operators,” said Amol Mandhare, General Secretary of the MWTA.
Collectorate clarifies jurisdiction
A senior official from the Mumbai Collector’s office said that while the BMC is responsible for water supply in the city, issues related to groundwater extraction and compliance with norms of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) fall under the Collectorate’s jurisdiction.
“The notices were issued in connection with these regulations, but no action will now be taken against tanker operators,” the official said.
Impact on railway operations
Meanwhile, on the second day of the water tanker strike, railway operations were severely impacted, with Central Railway facing a significant shortfall in water supply at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
The station, which receives nearly 6 lakh litres of water daily through around 144 tankers, received only 115 tankers on Monday and just 52 tankers by Tuesday afternoon against an expected 72.
Railway authorities prioritised available water for essential passenger services and arranged additional watering of trains at stations such as Dadar railway station, Kurla railway station, Panvel railway station, Pune Junction railway station, Surat and Valsad.
Central Railway also sought additional water supply from the BMC for CSMT, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and other major stations.
“We are taking every possible measure to ensure passengers do not face any inconvenience due to the water shortage,” said Vineet Abhishek, CPRO, Western Railway.
Disruption at commercial establishments
The tanker strike severely disrupted operations at commercial establishments dependent on private water supply. At Crystal Paradise, a commercial complex on Veera Desai Road in Andheri that spends nearly Rs 1 lakh every month on tanker water, office operations were hit due to the sudden shortage.
“With no tanker supply, even basic services such as toilets were affected. We had to ask people to return home for their basic requirements,” said Yatinder Pal, secretary of Crystal Paradise.
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However, several commercial establishments, housing societies and residential complexes across the city finally heaved a sigh of relief after the tanker strike was called off, ending two days of uncertainty and easing concerns over severe water shortages that had disrupted daily operations and essential services.
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