Mumbai, Apr 13 (PTI) As the tanker association refused to relent on the ongoing strike, the Mumbai civic body on Sunday invoked the Disaster Management Act to requisition private water tankers, wells and borewells to streamline water supply with the help of police and the transport commissionerate.
“The Disaster Management Act 2005 was invoked in the view of the indefinite strike called by tanker operators in opposition to the revised guidelines of Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and to avert any disruption in essential water supply during the summer season,” it said.
Tanker operations will be managed through coordinated efforts of teams from BMC wards, Mumbai police and the transport commissionerate, the release stated.
It said a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been formulated for streamlined water supply to private housing societies and other stakeholders.
As part of the SOP, the BMC’s legal department and the disaster management department will jointly issue a notification order for the requisition of water tankers along with drivers, cleaners and office staff from the tanker operator’s office for coordination, the release said.
“Thereafter, Maharashtra Transport Commissioner will do requisition of the vehicles and personnel and deploy them to ward-level teams on Sunday evening, while ward officers will form a team comprising officials from the water works, pest control, health, accounts, RTO and local police departments, to ensure ward wise smooth water supply,” it said.
As per the SOP, ward teams will accept tanker requisitions from societies at Citizen Facilitation Centres (CFCs), receive payments, issue receipts, and dispatch tankers accordingly.
Each filling point will be provided police protection, while payments made by societies will reflect market rates plus 25 per cent administrative charges, payable via cash or UPI, the release said.
The move to invoke the Act was taken on the directive of BMC commissioner-cum-administrator Bhushan Gagrani since the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) was continuing the strike since April 10 despite the civic body staying notices issued to well and borewell owners, it said.
Despite the stay given to notices issued to well and borewell owners until June 15 following directives from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the union minister of Jal Shakti, the tanker operators have not withdrawn the strike, the release pointed out.
Consequently, the BMC administration has enforced emergency measures in the larger interest of the public, the release stated.
MWTA members could not be contacted for comments on the BMC’s move to invoke the Disaster Management Act.
The MWTA on Thursday began its “indefinite break” from supplying water after BMC issued notices to owners of private wells that supply water to the tankers.
It has affected water supply to residential societies, railways, and construction projects, among others.
The MWTA has around 1,800 registered tankers with a capacity of 500-20,000 litres, and these tankers supply around 350 MLD of water to different parts of Mumbai.
As per the MWTA, the authorities have made 200 square metres of land, proof of lease or ownership of a well, installation of a digital water flow metre, adherence to BIS standard, accurate measurement of daily intake etc mandatory, besides a no-objection certificate from Central Ground Water Authority.
The MWTA has refused to pull back the stir despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking the BMC to come up with an immediate solution in view of citizens’ woes amid the summer.
Fadnavis, through a post on X on Friday, said he has directed the Mumbai municipal commissioner to find “an immediate solution” by way of finding out the “golden mean” in the revised rules and demands of tanker owners, as “a water (shortage) problem has arisen in some places”.
On Friday, Union Jal Shakti minister CR Paatil chaired a meeting at Bandra Kurla Complex, in which representatives of tanker owners were present along with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) officials.
In the meeting, Paatil instructed the CGWA administration to simplify the ‘Bhu-Neer’ online system for obtaining NOCs to make it more user-friendly. PTI KK BNM NSK
