Tankers suspend water supply after BMC notice to private well owners

As Mumbai sizzles and the demand for water surges at the beginning of summer, several pockets in the city faced a water shortage as private tanker operators indefinitely suspended services on Thursday.

- Shreya Jachak

MUMBAI:

The Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) is protesting a notice issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to the owners of private wells that supply tankers with water, to secure a licence from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

The notice directs well owners to adopt the CGWA's 2020 guidelines, requiring them to maintain 200 sq m or more around these wells, set up digital water flow meters, and submit groundwater reports to the CGWA. Furthermore, it allows tankers to be filled only within the premises.

The MWTA claims crucial guidelines cannot be implemented due to space constraints. "We are prepared to apply for an NOC and a licence but we cannot follow the guidelines," said MWTA spokesperson Ankur Sharma. "They were not created taking into account the urban landscape."

Sharma has given their agitation a clever twist. "The suspension of services is not a strike; we are merely adhering to the notice sent by the officials," he said.