While Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation washes its hands off, Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road residents think the dipping water levels could be due to Metro tunnelling work
Responding to the concerns raised by residents of Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road about the severe shortage of well water, supposedly due to the Metro tunnelling work, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has denied any connection between the construction of the tunnel and the dropping water levels. The irked residents find no merit in the MMRC's arguments and, in return, will send their reply to the MMRC in the next few days.
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The residents of Karim Manzil, Singapuri and Sukhadwala buildings, who had written to the MMRC last month, received a letter earlier this week. Metro officials stated that the water levels in the wells in the area are being monitored "on a regu-lar basis".
Worried residents of buildings on JSS Road in front of the well (Above) at Karim Manzil. Pics/Atul Kamble
MMRC officials also claimed that the drop in the water levels in the wells is due to "seasonal fluctuations". The letter states, "We have studied these monitoring reports on the well water levels of the Wadiaji Atash Behram. The water level data for this period shows a consistent trend prior, during or after tunnelling works".
The MMRC also claims that the constructed tunnel is leak proof and there are no chances that the drop in water levels is due to tunnelling activities. As it says, "The tunnelling activity... has been undertaken in fresh basalt rock, the mining of which was dry and, therefore, the drop in water levels in the wells is not connected to the tunnelling activity by any means."
Gulshan Dubash, a resident
Residents, however, found MMRC's claims to lack 'common sense'. Homa Pouredehi, a resident of Sukhadwala building pointed out that contrary to the claims made by the MMRC, no one had come to monitor the water levels of the wells in the buildings until they sent a written complaint in February. "They came to check the water levels once the tunnelling work was already complete. What is the point of monitoring the water levels once they've gone down?" she asked.
Pouredehi added that instead of trying to find the reason behind the fast depleting wells, the MMRC is shirking its responsibilities. "It is not coincidence that wells that always had sufficient water suddenly started drying up, days after the Metro tunnelling work was done. The MMRC should make some effort to rectify the situation," she said. The aggrieved residents have been facing acute water shortage since January and have been forced to cut back on the use of water for their daily chores.
Another resident, Gulshan Dubash, who lives in Karim Manzil, questioned the competence of the Metro officials. "In the past years, there have been bad summers and shortage of rainfall. But, families living in this area for four generations have never faced any water shortage. Even though MMRC officials claim there is no reason to worry, the water levels of both Anjuman and Wadiaji Atash Behram as well as wells in our buildings are drying up," she said, adding that a few residents have started maintaining their own logs of the water tables.
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