Mumbai Faces Water Shortage as BMC Takes Over Tankers in Strike Crisis
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has stepped in to tackle a severe water shortage triggered by a four-day strike from the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA), which began on April 10. With the city’s water supply disrupted, the BMC invoked the Disaster Management Act of 2005, announcing plans to seize private tankers, wells, and borewells to ensure delivery during the scorching summer. The MWTA’s protest against stringent Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) regulations has left residential complexes, construction sites, and railways struggling.
Efforts to resolve the crisis have hit roadblocks despite high-level intervention. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a temporary halt to CGWA guideline enforcement until June 15, and Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil urged simplification of the permit process. However, the MWTA, demanding a full withdrawal of the rules requiring land ownership proof and digital flow meters, remains unmoved. “We need written commitments from the Chief Minister and BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani,” an MWTA spokesperson, signaling ongoing tensions.
To manage the shortfall, the BMC has deployed ward-level teams, including water works and health officials, to coordinate with Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra Transport Commissionerate. Housing societies can access water through Citizen Facilitation Centres at market rates plus a 25% fee. With MWTA’s 1,800 tankers supplying 350 million liters daily sidelined, Mumbai faces a critical gap between the BMC’s 3,850 million liters and the city’s 4,200 million-liter daily demand.
