BMC chief says 24/7 water supply possible in 4-5 years

The panel discussion was attended by Union Minister of Water Resources Salman Khurshid and former union minister for energy and power Suresh Prabhu amongst others. Kumar said while solutions like rainwater harvesting and recycling of water can augment water availability to some extent,the real solution lies in having a flawless supply and distribution network.

“If we have ample water and it is not supplied properly,it can create shortage. Thirty per cent of water brought into the city is wasted because of thefts and leakages. The pipelines are old and need to be replaced. In addition to this,if all our future water supply projects are completed on time,I am sure the city can have 24 hours water supply in about four to five years from now,” said Kumar.

He emphasised on the need to implement the Pinjal-Daman Ganga linkage project that can divert more than 3,000 million litres of water from Daman Ganga to the city,which otherwise flows into the sea.

He added that contamination can be minimised when water is flowing at a constant pressure through pipelines at all times. “Empty pipelines lead to ingress of pollutants due to the vacuum created in them. Constant pressurised water supply can eliminate this problem. While some parts of the city have contaminated water,the overall quality of water supplied to homes in Mumbai surpasses the WHO standards,” said Kumar.

Khurshid stressed on the importance of reviving the Mithi River and described it as a turning point for the city. He also spoke about effective ways to make people aware of water conservation by changing the current water tariff plan.