KDMC project fails to solve Kalyan’s water woes

The total requirement of water for Dombivli is between 52-55 MLD a day, and forKalyan between 28-30 MLD a day. "It was in consideration of this longstanding problem that the project was planned," explained KDMC standing committee member Anil Bhade, whose ward is perhaps the worst affected.

Work on the project started in 1990 and was completed by 1994. Water supply to Kalyan under the project began in April 1994 and to Dombivli in June 1995. Phase I of the project itself cost Rs 43 crore, while Phase II (which involves work on a 200 km pipeline) will cost another Rs 30 crore. Rs 19 crore have already been spent on it. The World Bank has chipped in with a loan of Rs 35 crore, the Maharashtra Metropolitan Regional Development Authority has loaned Rs 15 cr and the state government has given a grant-in-aid of Rs 16 crore. Remaining funds for the project, which has so far cost Rs 62 crore, are being raised by the KDMC on its own. Yet, there has been no improvement in the town’s water supply.

Bhade blames the administration "for gross mismanagement" of the 90 MLD project. "At any given point of time, not more than five of the eight pumps work," he complained (see box). He adds, "At every standing committee meeting, we sanction money toward repairs and rewinding, in spite of which there are frequent breakdowns." He faults the corporation’s policy of handing over the operation of the pumping station to a private party. He claims that the KDMC has spent Rs 1.5 crore on repairs alone in the past two years. "This is because the private party never uses authentic spare parts," he says. Added Santosh Kene (Congress), "The KDMC should have its own staff managing an important project like this."

KDMC commissioner Madhukar Kokate pointed out, "The average per capita consumption of water in Kalyan and Dombivili is higher (147 litres per person) than both Mumbai and Thane. However, this has not led to complacency on our part in improving services." The problem began, he says, due to a sudden drop in water levels in the Ulhas reservoir on December 6, from where water is lifted. "Since the KDMC is at the tail-end of all the agencies that queue up to draw water from this reservoir, we are the worst hit whenever the water levels dip. Also, the water takes at least 12 hours to reach the reservoir and longer than that for levels to reach normalcy." He added, "Of the eight pumps, five were badly damaged due to the fall in water levels and power supply fluctuations, which happened simultaneously." If the KDMC was aware of this problem, why were no contingency plans made? Said Kokate, "The civic body plans to replace horizontal pumps with the more efficient vertical ones." He also said there was a move to install more pumps so that a reliable standby arrangement can be made.