Mumbai: The BMC Administration claims to supply 3800 million liters of water per day to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation area, despite the fact that tanker mafia is active in many areas. According to BJP leader Ashish Shelar, the business of transporting water by tanker in Mumbai is above Rs 3000 crore. Water theft is done on a large scale through tankers. Shelar has questioned the Rs 18,000 crore project to sweeten sea water, demanding action against the tanker mafia.
According to a survey conducted by the Central Ground Water Department, Mumbai city has over 19,000 water wells, of which 12,500 are borewells. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has issued notices to 251 water sources, out of which 216 are illegal water wells. Out of these, a case of water theft worth Rs 80 crore from a single well has come to light.
A letter has been written to the Municipal Commissioner demanding action against the tanker mafias who have been illegally pumping huge amount of water from wells and borewells in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/AUWtzQKhek
– Adv. Ashish Shelar – Adv. Ashish Shelar (ShelarAshish) January 6, 2022
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SIT should be appointed for investigation
BJP leader Ashish Shelar has appointed Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Ground Water Survey and Development Machinery Commissioner C.D. Joshi has drawn attention to other issues including water theft and over-exploitation of groundwater in MMR including Mumbai. He has also demanded appointment of SIT to probe the matter. Shelar has said that illegal and uncontrolled water theft in Mumbai should be investigated and it should be stopped by imposing fine on them. Keeping in view the potential of existing groundwater resources of Mumbai, it is necessary to formulate a water use policy through scientific studies.
By stopping water theft and leakage, the need can be fulfilled
BJP leader Shelar said that on the one hand the municipal administration is canceling a project like Gargai, saying it is more expensive. On the other hand, a proposal has been prepared to spend Rs 18,000 crore to make sea water potable. The water needs of the people of Mumbai can be met only by stopping water theft and leakages.