BMC to create awareness about legal water connection in slums

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a programme with the help of an NGO, to create awareness in slum areas of the metropolis about the losses in the water distribution system due to unmetered and illegal water connections.

"Through this programme, we intend to create awareness among slumdwellers about the disadvantages of illegal water connections. We will try to convince them to get legal and metered BMC water connection. Through this, we also hope to improve the pattern of water distribution in Mumbai," additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota said.

According to Jalota, of the 3,350 million litres of water that is supplied to the city everyday, nearly 700 million litres of water is lost due to leakages or is stolen.

The BMC has approached the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC), an NGO working at the community level, to undertake this pilot project in the slum pockets of the metropolis.

"As a pilot project, we would start the programme in major slums pockets like Shivaji Nagar in Govandi and Malvani in Malad. The NGO will talk to about 500 families to form a group to buy and share a metered BMC water connection," Jalota said.

"Since the slumdwellers spend money to buy water from tankers or water lobby, we will convince them to instead spend that money on getting a legal water connection," another official said.