Navi Mumbai residents clueless as city reels under 25% water cut

Earlier this year, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) was short-listed for the Smart City scheme. One of the parameters was its capability to supply 24-hour water in the city.

However, today the scenario is different, as residents of Navi Mumbai have already started facing water cuts. Due to less rainfall this year, the corporation has started 20-25 per cent water cuts across nodes.

Water supply in the satellite city is restricted to less than an hour. Representational pics

Officials have revealed that the water cuts will continue till the next monsoon. Arvind Shinde, executive engineer (water supply) at NMMC, told mid-day, "Due to less rainfall this year, we are forced to impose water cuts. As a precautionary measure we will continue the water cuts till next monsoon. We have issued circulars in all respective nodes about the water cuts and water availability timings."

Clueless
However, residents have claimed that they have not received any circulars; neither have they been informed about the water cut timings.

"NMMC has not informed us about the water cut timings. We are facing a lot of problems, as we are clueless as to when the water would come. The corporation is randomly cutting water supply without informing us. People staying in housing societies are the most affected," said Ajay Khanna, a resident of Koparkhairane.

Residents further revealed that they get very less amount of time to fill water as supply is restricted to less than an hour. "Even the water supply timings are uncertain. Some days we get water for an hour in the morning, while other days it comes in the evening. There are also days when we have no water at all," said Suresh Iyer, resident of Vashi.

Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said, "The cut has been imposed keeping in mind the water requirements till the next monsoon. At present we have imposed a 20-25 per cent water cut and it will continue till July 31 next year."

In August, mid-day had reported how 19 per cent of the water coming to the city goes down the drain due to leakages and illegal connections. Over 305 million litres per day (MLD) of water is supplied to the area under NMMC's juridiction every day. Out of this, 30 MLD is taken from CIDCO and 50 MLD from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). The balance 225 MLD comes from the Morbe Dam.

"At present the water level in the Morbe Dam is approximately close to 80 metres," Shinde added. Ideally, the water level in this dam should be 88 metres.