Bhatsa water will soon be supplied to Thane

The TMC currently purchases 220 million litres of water per day (MLD) from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Water Supply and Sewerage Board (WSSB).

However, with an increase in Thane’s population from eight lakh during the 1991 census to its present 12 lakh, water requirements currently stand at 250 MLD, says Chandreshekhar. By 2010 AD this requirement is further expected to increase to 300 MLD.

Although the commissioner expressed his desire to “lift the entire 300 MLD from Bhatsa”, only 100 MLD will be drawn from the lake under the present plan. The remaining will be purchased from different agencies.

Before being distributed for consumption, the water that is to be drawn from Bhatsa will be diverted to Temghar water treatment plant, informed the commissioner. He denied the likelihood of the BMC, which draws 1200 MLD from Bhatsa, raising objections to the plan. “Why should Thane be neglected by the government,” he argued.

Chandrashekhar refrained from commenting on the financial aspects of the plan. He said the plan had been envisaged with the long-term view of easing Thane’s water supply problem upto 2015 AD. However, if work on the Poshir river dam was completed according to schedule i.e. 2010 AD, both Mumbai and Thane would benefit.

Incidentally, the Bhatsa dam, which is the property of the Government’s irrigation department, was originally built for three purposes – water supply, irrigation and the production of hydro-electricity. However, water supply has become the sole function of the dam, and its other functions of electricity production and irrigation are almost totally ignored, say sources.

Chandrashekhar, who took over as the new municipal commissioner about three weeks ago, blames the increasing number of unauthorised constructions for the water problem in Thane. “There are thousands of illegal constructions underway within the permits of the TMC jurisdiction which include Thane Kalwa, Mumbra and Diva,” he said. “There is absolutely no regard to the development plan in Thane.” Top on his priority list is the stopping of all illegal constructions. In his brief tenure, 54 permanent multi-storeyed structures and 227 unauthorised roadside shops and hutments have been razed.