Water crisis triggers violent protest in Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 14 (ANI): Activists of an NGO 'Swabhiman' staged a demonstration in Mumbai on Saturday against the water supply cut by the Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The activists gathered at Dadar area and broke the windshields of two tankers.hey claimed that a local mafia was siphoning off water tanker supply to affluent areas.

"We want the common man's water woes should end. Today BMC is saying that there is less water but when there was enough water what did they do? where was the water stored and why was water harvesting not done?" said Santosh Kubal, spokesperson of Swabhiman.

In December last year, civic authorities had cut down piped water supply by as much as 20 percent.

BMC has said that despite heavy rains which lashed the city in July, 2009, the water level in the catchments areas of the city's six lakes has dropped.

The problem of water crisis is worst in slum areas as the residents of the area are forced to dig bore-wells around the periphery. Some are compelled to use the drainage water for household purposes. (ANI)