The Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) has suspended its operations indefinitely across the city in protest against a spate of notices issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to owners of private wells from which the tankers draw water (Pics/ASHISH RAJE/ ATUL KAMBLE/ SHADAB KHAN)
Updated on : 10 April,2025 07:07 PM IST | Compiled by : Anushree Gaikwad
Water tankers parked at Hanuman Road next to the Western Express Highway in Andheri. Pic/Ashish Raje
Mumbai’s water tanker services have been suspended indefinitely after the Mumbai Water Tanker Association protested civic notices served to private well owners. The BMC's new rules have made operations difficult, say operators, who demand urgent government intervention
The association, which operates approximately 1,800 registered tankers with capacities ranging from 500 to 20,000 litres supplies nearly 350 million litres per day to residential and commercial zones across Mumbai. However, from Thursday, the entire fleet has gone off the roads
MWTA said the shutdown was prompted by a slew of new regulatory requirements imposed on private well owners by the BMC
The new directives mandate each well owner to possess proof of lease or ownership of a 200 square metre land parcel, install digital water flow metres, comply with BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) norms, provide precise data on daily water extraction, and crucially obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)
The association stated that these rules are not feasible to follow in a densely populated and space-crunched city like Mumbai
MWTA claimed that their appeals to the Chief Minister's Office and other relevant authorities have gone unaddressed. "Unless the government offers relaxations, we will not resume supply," said an MWTA Spokesperson
Mumbai's suburban district guardian minister Ashish Shelar had also raised concerns on behalf of the tanker operators. In a letter to the Jal Shakti Ministry, he urged that action not be taken against private well owners
The indefinite strike is expected to disrupt water availability in several parts of the metropolis, particularly in areas that rely heavily on tanker deliveries to meet daily requirements
"We have no choice but to suspend operations until there is a resolution," the spokesperson stated
The indefinite strike is expected to disrupt water availability in several parts of the metropolis, particularly in areas that rely heavily on tanker deliveries to meet daily requirements
A tanker driver takes a nap as the state tanker body suspends supply in protest against the Centre's directive mandating licences for groundwater extraction
Water tankers drivers wait outside the filling station at Metro Talkies in Dhobi Talav in Mumbai
