The Urban Water Tanker Gridlock

In a city as dense and dynamic as Mumbai, an unhindered water supply is quintessential

- Upendra Kasbekar.

It’s also a complex logistical challenge especially if you are not regularised. From filling in for civic infrastructure gaps to catering to construction, hospitality, and residential societies, water tankers are synonymous to Mumbai's concrete jungle and its growing pressures on the city infrastructure. Recently, this critical water tanker segment found itself in the eye of a storm due to regulatory actions by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), leading to members of the Mumbai Water Tankers Association (MWTA) going on strike. After seven days of mediation, the strike was force withdrawn when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) invoked the Disaster Management Act 2005 and threatened to take over the unauthorised borewells and step in the operations by establishing a SOP.

It opened up a larger conversation around policy, sustainability, operator rights, the need for checks and balances and the real value water tankers bring to the table. Looked at as a means to compensate for the insufficient BMC supply in areas, nearly 900 water tankers are known to do daily rounds.

IMPACT ON THE CITY

Mumbai's daily requirement of potable water is known to be approximately 4,200 million litres per day (MLD), with the BMC supplying around 3,850 MLD. The remaining 350 MLD is sourced from private tankers, which are essential for sectors like road concretisation, metro projects, public space maintenance, and emergency services.