Soon, bottled water may replace public taps in Mumbai

Public water taps in the city could soon be a thing of the past. The state plans to replace them with bottled water booths to ensure slum dwellers get potable water at Rs5 for a 20-litre can. Water supply and sanitation minister Laxman Dhobale on Wednesday said his government plans to introduce the scheme in slum areas in the first phase.

“Though it is dearer than tap water, it would help us in sorting out sanitation problems and control waterborne diseases,” Dhobale said. “Public water taps in slum pockets are the epicenter of unhygienic conditions due to the accumulation of water and mud.

The percentage of water contamination is also huge. The water booths will help us overcome such conditions and help in supplying pure water to the slums.”

Dhobale added, “Water supplied through the government machinery and municipal corporations is supplied at Rs10 per 1,000 litre, which is too cheap. But the residents will have to bear the additional cost for pure water.”

The minister also plans to earn Rs800 crore for the state exchequer by levying surcharge on mineral water bottles. “As per last year’s figures, mineral water consumption in Maharashtra is nearly 800 crore bottles per year. If we levy a surcharge of Re1 per one-litre bottle, Rs800 crore could be added to the state coffer.

The amount can be further used for bringing about an improvement in the water supply system,” he said.
Dhobale, who visited Singapore to check the water supply and purification system there, said people here should be ready to pay more for pure drinking water. “Developed countries like Singapore follow the practice (privatisation of drinking water) successfully,” he said.

The minister admitted all rivers in the state are polluted. “In a recent survey, rivers in 300 villages were found to be most polluted. None of the rivers in the state is unpolluted. It’s high time for us to introduce a strict act to take action against the industrial units responsible,” he said.