Even as Mumbai’s braving a reduction, the civic body is allowing water sufficient for 3,846 people to use, to drain away everyday.
Even as Mumbai’s braving a reduction in its water supply, the civic body is needlessly allowing water sufficient for 3,846 people to use, to drain away everyday.
Due to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) failure to detect an underground leak in one of the pipelines near Ghatkopar’s Central Government Staff (CGS) colony, citizens are losing close to 10 lakh litres of water daily. Shockingly, the problem, says CP Singh, Chairman of the CGS Residents Welfare Association, has been persisted for a decade.
BMC statistics suggests that on an average, a citizen requires 260 litres of water everyday. 10 lakh litres could thus supplement the needs of 3,846 citizens. If the same calculations were used to realise the loss of water over a 10-year period, it would amount to of 365 lakh litres — enough to supplement needs of 1.5 crore people.
Deepak Kajbaje, the BMC’s hydraulic engineer admitted to the failure. “A water distribution main in the area has developed an underground leak. Despite efforts, we are yet to detect it.” Now, however, the municipality is considering outsourcing its problem. Kajbaje said, “We plan to rope in a Reliance-owned radar for the work.” At present, the radar is being used a private agency for surveying roads that wall be used for building the Metro Railway network. “Talks are on with the agency. We have asked them to help us,” Kajbaje said. But, the radar may only arrive in the city in January next year.
Until then, CGS residents and citizens in general, will have to put up with water shortages.
“We get water for barely half an hour in the morning,” said Singh adding that the water “is turbid for the first ten minutes everyday.” Local BJP corporator Mange Bhanushali blamed the administration’s negligence.
On the whole, the city loses a shocking 700 million litres of water due to water leakage and pilferage every day. Sources in the hydraulic department, on the condition of anonymity, attributed these large-scale loss to poor expertise and neglect on the part of municipal engineers and contractors. Last year, the BMC imported three leak detection cameras — each worth Rs25 lakh — but they have been of little help. Places like Dharavi, Malabar Hill and Bandra have reported leaks in recent past and one leak in a 105 mm pipe at Dharavi was repaired only on November 3.
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