Water stock lowest in five years, BMC issues stricter norms

WITH monsoons playing truant in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued stricter norms to save water. According to the order issued on Monday, the water supplied to swimming pools will be disconnected immediately, except in case of emergencies. The civic body has also mandated that municipal tankers be utilised only to meet residential needs. The civic body will also not process any new proposal for public or private gardens, until normal supply is restored.

Last week, the civic body had imposed a 20 per cent water-cut on all residential properties and a 50 per cent water-cut on all commercial establishments like starred-restaurants, malls and industries. According to officials, the total water quantity in all the seven lakes supplying water to the city is 29 per cent lesser than what was recorded last year at the same time. The water quantity recorded on Monday was 9.8 lakh million litres – the lowest in the last five years.

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In 2014, the total water stock recorded on August 31 was 13.6 lakh million litres – 3 lakh million litres more than the current quantity. Even in 2012, when BMC had imposed major water-cuts, the total quantity recorded was 10.11 lakh million litres.

A senior civic official said, “We have to impose several restrictions to ensure a smooth supply for the next year. We are asking officials to visit their respective wards to check for possible leakages and wastage also.”

BMC has also asked its staff to visit all constructions sites to check that municipal water was not being misused.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com