1 day Ago By Charu Singh
Angry residents, anxious bosses, and concerned restaurateurs were the vibe of India's financial capital on Monday, before the Mumbai Water Tankers' Association called off its strike after four days.The strike began on Friday after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued notices to ring well and borewell operators, directing them to stop supplying water to tankers and obtain fresh licences from the Central Ground Water Authority.The association found the rules for fresh licences too strict and went on strike.
The revised guidelines required suppliers to have 200 sqm of land, proof of owning or leasing a well, a digital water meter, follow BIS standards, accurately track daily water use, and have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority, among other things.Facing a water shortage, residents of areas like Marol, Gulshan Nagar, and nearby settlements resorted to buying mineral water bottles and using taps of nearby temples. Other areas that depend heavily on water tanker supply include Vakola, Santacruz, and Vile Parle, a tanker driver told NDTV Profit.
Golu, a water tanker driver I get 15 to 20 calls every day from parties asking for water supply, but my boss has told me that there is a strike. That is why I cannot do anything to help.An industry which faced the brunt of the water scarcity was restaurants.
Of the fifteen restaurants in Bandra Kurla Complex that NDTV Profit spoke to on Sunday evening, ten mentioned that they are facing a water shortage.The others were either handling operations through the water supply given by the municipal corporation or buying mineral water cans. The high-end restaurant chains were insulated due to help from their head branches.
Meanwhile, the affected outlets were worried about serving Monday dinner, as the strike seemed indefinite at the time. A similar situation was seen at some eateries in Colaba as well.BKC, which is usually teeming with corporate employees, too saw ”work from home” being handed out.
The city of Mumbai is surrounded by water on three sides. On the west and south, it has the Arabian Sea, and on the east, it has the Thane Creek. However, none of it is drinkable, so it depends heavily on water supply from the municipality and private contractors.
Mumbai requires approximately 4,463 million litres of water daily, of which the BMC supplies 3,950 million litres. The shortfall of around 250 to 300 million litres is managed through private water tankers, drawing water from 385 borewells and ring wells across the city.There are around 1,800 to 2,500 tankers registered under the Tankers Association.
These tankers vary in capacity from 500 litres to 20,000 litres and collectively supply 250 to 350 million litres of water daily. The areas serviced range from elite South Mumbai to suburban residential societies, railways, construction sites, and industrial hubs..
Read more on Trending by NDTV Profit..
