Mumbai: BVA MLA advocates 185 MLD water boost for Vasai Virar civic areas from Surya Dam

Kshitij Thakur handed over an application to MMRDA chief Sanjay Mukherjee/ Facebook

Kshitij Thakur, an MLA from Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), held discussions with Sanjay Mukherjee, the Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday, with a request for increased water supply from the Surya Dam project for the regions falling under the Vasai Virar civic body, stated a PTI report.

Currently, the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) areas require 372 million litres of water per day (MLD), while they are receiving only 230 MLD, the report stated.

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According to the report, Thakur pointed out the significant population growth in Vasai-Virar since 2011, which has doubled, resulting in an escalated demand for water resources in the area. To address this concern, he stressed the vital role of the Surya Dam project and the importance of augmenting water provisions for the citizens. Thakur emphasized that 185 MLD of water allocation from the Surya Dam project is essential for VVMC.

Recently, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest in the area addressing the persistent water issues faced by over 30 lakh people in the region, as reported by PTI. MNS leader Sharmila Thackeray highlighted that the scheme designed to provide 185 million litres of water per day had not been inaugurated by the state government, causing daily hardships for the local population.

Thackeray issued a stern warning, stating that if the water supply scheme is not inaugurated within five days, the MNS would take it upon themselves to do so forcibly, ensuring that the people receive the necessary relief. She suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited Shirdi in Ahmednagar district last week could have inaugurated the water supply scheme through a video link.

Thackeray clarified that the MNS is not concerned about taking credit for the scheme; their primary objective is to ensure that the people of Vasai and Virar no longer suffer from water woes. She was accompanied by MNS Thane-Palghar chief Avinash Jadhav, as per the report.

Additionally, activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest in Thane city against the toll charge increase at five entry points to Mumbai, which was scheduled to take effect on October 1. The protest was led by Avinash Jadhav, the chief of the MNS units in Thane and Palghar, with demonstrators waving party flags, displaying banners, and denouncing the toll hike vocally.