Tankers suspend water supply on BMC notice to well owners | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: As Mumbai sizzles and the demand for water surges at the beginning of summer, several pockets in the city faced a water shortage as private tanker operators indefinitely suspended services on Thursday. The Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) is protesting a notice issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to the owners of private wells that supply tankers with water, to secure a licence from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

The notice directs well owners to adopt the CGWA’s 2020 guidelines, requiring them to maintain 200 sq m or more around these wells, set up digital water flow meters, and submit groundwater reports to the CGWA. Furthermore, it allows tankers to be filled only within the premises.

The MWTA claims crucial guidelines cannot be implemented due to space constraints. “We are prepared to apply for an NOC and a licence but we cannot follow the guidelines,” said MWTA spokesperson Ankur Sharma. “They were not created taking into account the urban landscape.”

Sharma has given their agitation a clever twist. “The suspension of services is not a strike; we are merely adhering to the notice sent by the officials,” he said.

Guardian minister for Mumbai suburban district, Ashish Shelar, has written to CR Patil, minister of Jal Shakti, at the centre, claiming that local authorities are harassing Mumbai’s tanker operators. He has sought Patil’s intervention in the matter. “The BMC has asked tanker operators to obtain CGWA licences without prior consultation on the terms and conditions. The harassment from local authorities has led to undue disruption in the water supply,” read the letter.

Mumbai requires 4,200 million litres per day (MLD) of potable water, with the BMC supplying 3,850 MLD. The 350 MLD shortfall is met by private tankers, which draw water from 385 bore wells and ring wells in the city. Tanker water is also used for infrastructure projects such as road concretisation, metro projects, cleaning of train coaches, and the maintenance of public spaces.

Of utmost concern is the massive road concretisation initiative underway across Mumbai. “We have only 50 days left to complete the work. Other projects have longer timelines and can manage on their own,” said Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects). “Most of the ready mix-concretisation plants are located outside the city and the few that are in the city mostly have their own bore wells, so they won’t have any problems.”

On the impact on another important infrastructure project, a spokesperson of the National High Speed Rail Corporation said, “If the suspension is limited to a few days, it will have minimal impact. However, any disruption beyond this period could affect construction activities. NHSRCL is building the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), under the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project.”

Defending the move to enforce the CGWA guidelines, an official from the BMC’s health department said, “In many cases, the tanker water is used for potable purposes, which impacts health. That is why a licence has been mandated by the central government authorities.”

Opposition parties are blaming the state government for the turn of events. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the Mahayuti alliance government has done nothing in the last three years to solve the issues faced by tanker operators, regarding the central government’s guidelines.

“The association has been protesting the guidelines for bulk water suppliers issued by the Central Ground Water Authority. The issue has persisted for the last three years but the Maharashtra government hasn’t taken it up with the GoI. Now Mumbaikars are suffering because of certain impractical guidelines made by those sitting in Government of India offices in Delhi. I urge the BMC commissioner to apprise Mumbaikars of the BMC’s plan on the water issue,” said Aadtiya Thackeray.

“Had the (Eknath) Shinde regime not cancelled the desalination plant planned by us (MVA government), Mumbai’s water woes would have been solved by 2026,” said Thackeray.