Navi Mumbai: 48-hour CIDCO water cut stretches on, crisis deepens in nodes

Representational image. Pic/iStock

A supposed 48-hour water cut announced by CIDCO earlier this week for emergency repair work has extended well beyond its schedule, leaving the nodes of Ulwe, Dronagiri, Kharghar, and Taloja battling an acute water crisis.

The situation has triggered panic and frustration among residents, who are accusing CIDCO of negligence and alleging a nexus with the tanker mafia.

According to CIDCO's official circular, the water supply was to be disrupted from Wednesday, 9 July at 6 am to Thursday, July 10, due to emergency repairs on the Hetwane pipeline near the Kharpada bridge. Water was expected to resume by Friday morning, but in reality, several sectors in Ulwe, including Sector 17, reported dry taps until Saturday evening, with unofficial word suggesting water may only be restored by 7-8 pm on July 12.

The result -- a massive dependence on private water tankers, leading to chaos in residential societies and spiralling daily costs for already stretched housing complexes.

"For the past several weeks, we have been arranging water tankers almost daily. It's becoming financially and logistically exhausting for our society. Every time there is maintenance at the dam or a pipe bursts, our water supply is disrupted, and there is no proper backup system in place," said Sanjoy Varghese, a resident of Hari Heights in Ulwe's Sector 9.

A similar situation is unfolding in Dronagiri and Taloja, where residents say CIDCO has failed to plan or upgrade the water grid despite being fully aware of the region's population explosion.

"There is no long-term vision. People are fighting for basic human needs. Tankers are filling the vacuum left by CIDCO, and we don't even know if the water quality is safe," Varghese added.

Residents and activists are now openly questioning CIDCO's transparency and accountability.

"CIDCO is not at all bothered about the prolonged acute water issue, which is the first and foremost requirement for human daily life. At the same time, how is it that the tanker mafia gets water and supplies to societies? It clearly means CIDCO is involved somewhere and helping the tanker mafia in looting public money. There is no provision from CIDCO's side, and no initiative from PMC for such a big issue," alleged Rajesh K Shreevastava, social worker, President of Sewa Foundation, and a resident of Bhagyashree Co-operative Housing Society in Kharghar.

Several societies report paying between Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 daily for water tankers -- a financial burden with no support or reimbursement from authorities. Residents now question how tankers continue to source water when official pipelines are dry.

Adding to the civic dismay, Leena Garad, local politician and social activist, pointed out a systemic failure in planning.

Garad said, "Around 30 to 40 years ago, CIDCO had already planned and was aware of how many houses would be constructed in this area. However, due to political apathy in this region, despite the presence of planned dam projects and abundant water resources, a proper water supply system was never developed. This is a matter of great misfortune for the citizens here."

Garad added, "At least from now on, the local MLAs of Uran and Panvel should exert pressure on officials and the administration and work diligently to ensure that projects are completed within the stipulated time."

MLA promises to raise issue in Assembly

Speaking to mid-day, Prashant Thakur, BJP MLA from Panvel, acknowledged the gravity of the issue and said, "The water crisis in Kharghar, Ulwe, Dronagiri, and Taloja is severe. CIDCO had announced a 48-hour cut due to repair work at Hetwane Dam, but the outage has gone well beyond that. CIDCO should have made proper alternative arrangements. With the population increasing rapidly due to development in these nodes, I will demand that CIDCO stop issuing new commencement certificates if they cannot ensure basic facilities like water. I will raise this issue in the ongoing assembly session and push for a resolution on priority."

With climate change, rising population, and unchecked urban expansion, Navi Mumbai's water woes are no longer exceptional - they are becoming the norm. Despite this, rainwater harvesting remains poorly enforced, tanker operations go unregulated, and crisis communication is lacking.

Unless CIDCO and other civic authorities roll out a master plan for decentralised water management, Navi Mumbai's reputation as a "planned city" may soon become its cruelest irony - one dry tap at a time.

Even after several calls and messages, CIDCO officials were unavailable for comment.