Mumbai corporators to study equitable water supply

City corporators have decided to study the water distribution system in Mumbai and make recommendations for equitable water supply according to population density in the different wards.

A nine-member sub-committee, headed by civic standing committee chairman Rahul Shevale, will undertake the study. Sunil Prabhu and Ravindra Waikar (Shiv Sena), Rajhans Singh and Sameer Desai (Congress), Ashish Shelar and Yogesh Sagar (BJP), Niaz Ahmed Vanu (NCP) and Shajia Azmi (SP) will be the other members.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revoked water cuts in the city. However, complaints about water shortage continue to pour in from certain parts of the city. The worst affected areas are those at the tail end of the distribution system.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the civic standing committee by Sagar. “There is a 20% gap between demand and supply. The old system of distribution ensures more water for the island city though its population is less than that of the suburbs,” he said.
According to officials of the hydraulic department, the island city gets 1,140 million litres per day (mld) for 32.74 lakh people. The eastern suburbs receive 890 mld for 40.64 lakh people. The western suburbs get 1,320 mld for 59.07 lakh people.

Ravindra Waikar, standing committee member, said the water problem has not eased even after the installation of flow-meters in the city.