Mumbai water crisis: BMC halts water supply to swimming pools and construction sites

The Kamgar swimming pool in Dadar West. The BMC will stop supplying water to such facilities from today. FILE PIC/SHADAB KHAN

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to stop supplying water to swimming pools and construction sites in the city from Wednesday. It will also implement a 20 per cent water cut for all industrial and commercial establishments in addition to the 10 per cent precautionary water cut that has been in place across Mumbai since May 15.

The civic body has urged citizens to use water judiciously. Representation Pic

These decisions were taken after a special meeting to review the water stock of the seven lakes that supply drinking water to Mumbai. The meeting was chaired by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. The BMC's hydraulics department also issued a circular about the restrictions on Tuesday, as per the directives of the state government's water resources department. As of June 16, the available water stock stands at only 10.35 per cent.

The new restrictions

>> Water connections for all construction sites will be temporarily disconnected

>> The granting of new connections for construction projects has been suspended

>> Water connections for all swimming pools will be temporarily disconnected

>> A 20 per cent water cut will be implemented for industrial, commercial establishments, and sports clubs

>> Applications for supplementary water connections will be kept pending until sufficient water reserves are restored

The BMC has decided to stop supplying water to construction sites to stretch limited water reserves to last as long as possible with this delay in the monsoon. Representation Pic/Atul Kamble

>> Organisations managing public sanitation facilities and restrooms have been advised to use tanker or borewell water and conserve drinking water.

>> The water supply provided to aerated water and packaged water bottling plants is being throttled to a level sufficient only for the drinking water needs of the workers employed there.

>> The BMC will take strict action against anyone misusing or wasting the drinking water supplied by the BMC, or flouting the above rules

>> BMC's circular directs establishments such as Central and Western Railway, RCF, HPCL, BPCL, MIDC, and BPT, to reuse treated water from sewage treatment plants for secondary and operational purposes.

Other advisories

>> For purposes other than drinking, maximum reliance should be placed on wells and borewells

>> Water from borewells or wells should be used for activities such as vehicle washing, watering plants in parks, and cleaning roads or premises

BMC said in a statement…

‘Due to a delay in rainfall caused by El Niño and a decline in water levels in the dams supplying Mumbai, the BMC has undertaken various precautionary measures to ensure the available water stock lasts longer. With this delay in the monsoon, the BMC faces the challenge of stretching this limited water supply to last as long as possible'

Mumbai's water requirements

The city and suburbs require approximately 4664 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The BMC supplies 3950 to 4100 MLD of water. With the 10 per cent water cut, this has been reduced to 3650 ML per day.