Mumbai: Gorai residents allege 12-year water supply failure, still paying bills

Locals filling up tanks with drinking water. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Locals in Gorai have claimed that the area between the Vale and Shefali bus stop has not been supplied potable water for the past 12 years, but the residents are still paying water bills amounting to Rs 400 almost every quarter. Residents claimed that multiple inquiries for restoring the water supply to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have fallen on deaf ears and gone unanswered over the years.

Drinking water kegs that Gorai residents purchase

According to the residents, they pay about Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 for the water bottles at home for drinking and an additional Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 for water tankers, every month. Locals are also perplexed by how the hotels and resorts in the village are supplied water without any issue, whereas the residential houses suffer. mid-day contacted the R Central ward for a response on why there has been such a delay in water supply in the area but received no response by press time.

Letter to BMC

Water meter at Godinho's house

In a letter dated March 29 to the assistant engineer of water, BMC, the Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of Gorai Gaothan Panchayat, Royston Godinho and Rossi D'Souza, stated, "The existing pipeline in the area is very old, and it is possible that the line may be blocked or damaged at some point. We therefore request the concerned department to kindly inspect the pipeline and carry out flushing or necessary repairs so that proper water supply can be restored to the residents." But the letter has yet again been left unanswered.

Licksie Christopher Jacinto, Gorai resident

Residents speak

Royston Godinho, Deputy Sarpanch of Gorai Gaothan Panchayat
‘I have the official BMC connection in my house, but for the past 12 years, not a single drop of [drinking] water has come through the pipes. I still get the quarterly bill of Rs 400. As a sign of protest, I have stopped paying the bill because I still have to cycle or walk about four kilometres of a round trip to get water for my home. We are taxpayers, and we have always cooperated with the BMC and appreciate the efforts they put in the area, but we need drinking water if we are going to pay the bills; it is our right'

Licksie Christopher Jacinto, a Gorai resident
‘We pay about Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 every month for the water bottles we use at home; we also pay about R1000 to R2000 for water tankers. Promises after promises have been made to us, and all have been empty ones. The BMC had come a few days ago and said we would get water, but that also turned out to be a lie'