Mumbai Water Crisis: BMC Orders Shut Down Of Wells Supplying Tankers Without CGWA Approval

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recently sent several notices to ring-well and borewell owners across Mumbai, according to an Indian Express report. These notices ask them to either stop using the wells or get an official no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), which is under the Union government.

These wells are commonly used to take out groundwater, which is then delivered across the city by water tankers. However, the civic body has now asked owners to stop supplying this water unless they have proper permission.

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In 2023, a similar move by BMC caused a serious water crisis in Mumbai. The Mumbai Water Tankers Association (MWTA) had gone on a sudden strike, which affected the entire city's water supply.

This time, BMC's pest control officers have issued the notices from different ward offices. Some of the notices say that these wells are breeding places for mosquitoes. In one notice issued by the A Ward (Colaba, Nariman Point, Navy Nagar), the owner was told to remove all pipes and fittings from the ring well within seven days and fill it with earth to avoid water collecting in it.

In another letter from the K/East Ward (Andheri East), the officer warned a well owner to stop supplying groundwater to tankers immediately. The letter also mentioned that failure to do so would lead to the cancellation of permission and possible legal action.

The notices further mention that well owners must apply for a fresh license from CGWA if they wish to continue supplying water.

In response, the MWTA has criticised the move. Ankur Sharma, a spokesperson for the MWTA, said the rules by CGWA only apply to drinking water. "We supply only non-drinking (non-potable) water for commercial and industrial use in Mumbai. These CGWA rules should not apply to us," he told The Indian Express.

The CGWA has strict rules for getting a license. The well must be on land and at least 200 square metres in size. Also, only one tanker is allowed to fill water from one well. Every well must also have a flow meter to measure the amount of water taken.

Sharma said these rules are hard to follow in Mumbai. "There is no space for 200 sqm land plots in most parts of the city. Also, there are no suppliers for the special flow meters required. All big projects like the metro rail, coastal road, and bullet train use water from tankers. If our supply stops, it will badly affect the city," he added.

A civic official, however, said some housing societies are getting water from tankers and using it for drinking. "If MWTA claims to supply only non-drinking water, why are they taking such orders? They must follow the CGWA process and get new licenses," the official said.

In 2023, a five-day flash strike by MWTA had reduced the city's non-drinking water supply sharply. At present, around 1,800 tankers under MWTA supply between 200 to 2,000 million litres of water daily, depending on the demand.

The issue may once again lead to the disruption of water supply if not resolved soon.