Previously few weeks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC) has been sending notices to the homeowners and operators of borewells and ring-wells in Mumbai asking them to both shut these services or receive a licence from the Central Floor Water Authority (CGWA). These borewells are key sources of floor water which is extracted and provided by tankers in numerous elements of the town.
In February 2023, an analogous transfer of BMC triggered a man-made water disaster after the tanker affiliation went on a flash strike as an indication of protest.
Why the BMC is sending notices to properly homeowners ?
Ring wells and bore wells are pure and synthetic wells which are constructed for accessing underground water for each day utilization. These wells are often open and get recharged through the monsoon. The civic physique, in its notices, has talked about a number of causes. In some notices they mentioned that these wells are serving as breeding hotspots for mosquitoes and bugs and in some notices the civic authorities have talked about that the properly homeowners don’t have the authority to provide floor water to tankers with out the brand new CGWA licence – which is being issued provided that a properly person fulfills the standards which are talked about the most recent CGWA pointers revealed in 2020.
Why is Mumbai so depending on floor water?
Mumbai being an island metropolis is surrounded by the ocean from three sides. Consequently, the town will get its potable water from seven lakes which are located within the satellite tv for pc districts of Thane, Palghar and Nashik. At current, BMC provides 3,850 million litres each day (MLD) of potable water, in opposition to a requirement of 4,200 MLD. For non-potable functions like industrial and business utilization – the town’s water comes from the ring and borewells through tankers. Contemplating the ocean water is excessive on saline degree and the creek water has sewage discharged on them this water turns into unfit for any form of utilization. In line with civic officers, Mumbai has a community of 1,200 wells and borewells. Nonetheless, the officers identified that as there isn’t any holistic coverage for upkeep of groundwater sources, Mumbaikars rely on BMC’s provide for his or her consuming wants.
Why will BMC’s transfer set off a man-made water disaster in Mumbai ?
The BMC has now requested the properly homeowners to acquire a contemporary CGWA licence – a mandate as per the most recent CGWA pointers that got here into pressure in 2020. The civic physique in its notices has maintained that it’s going to take legislative motion in opposition to properly operators who proceed to provide water to tankers with out having a brand new CGWA licence. This transfer will have an effect on the tanker enterprise fully. Day by day these tankers provide 200-2000 MLD of water in numerous pockets of Mumbai. This water is getting used for business functions in addition to in ongoing infrastructure works such because the street concretisation, coastal street venture, Metro works, bullet practice venture. In addition to, the tanker water can be getting used for different necessary functions like cleansing of railway coaches, upkeep of public roads, legal guidelines and gardens, upkeep of banquet halls and business public areas like lawns. If the BMC disallows the properly homeowners to provide water to tankers, water won’t attain for these actions main them to cease work and upkeep. An analogous incident befell in 2023 when all the metropolis loomed below the water disaster for 5 days after the Mumbai Water Tankers Affiliation (MWTA) went for a strike.
What are new CGWA norms ? Why is MWTA protesting it ?
The brand new CGWA guidelines mandate the properly homeowners to restrict provide solely to at least one tanker from a specific borewell. The principles additionally state that every properly proprietor ought to have an space of 200 sq. metres and movement meters wanted to be put in in wells for correct monitoring of the availability. Nonetheless, the tanker homeowners have maintained that these guidelines will not be attainable to comply with in a metropolis like Mumbai.
“In a densely populated metropolis like Mumbai the place will you get a land strip that can be 200 sq. metres and might be solely used for organising properly? There is no such thing as a CGWA workplace in Mumbai the place we are able to go for session and the meters that they’re saying will not be obtainable wherever in Mumbai markets. Subsequently, even when the properly homeowners apply for a licence at the moment it is going to be rejected,” Ankur Sharma, MWTA spokesperson, advised The Indian Categorical.
Story continues beneath this advert
At current, MWTA has 1,800 registered tankers with it. Every tanker has a capability of 500-20,000 litres and every borewell caters to 10-15 tankers relying on the water desk.
“Additionally, the CGWA guidelines are relevant for potable water solely. We (tankers) solely provide non-potable water. Then why ought to we go for a licence for supplying consuming water and supply impure water as an alternative. Will that not be one other violation additionally ?” requested Sharma.
