Clean drinking water: State sets agenda for BMC

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday said it will direct the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to prepare an action plan to ensure water pipelines don’t pass through nullahs and gutters.

The Opposition in the Upper House raised questions over contaminated water supply, mainly to Mumbai’s slum pockets. While Kapil Patil (Janata Dal United) raised a starred question in the legislative Council on impure water being supplied to Goregaon (West), Rahul Narvekar (NCP) said many water connections go through gutters and nullahs, leaving people susceptible to waterborne diseases.

“The state government should direct the civic body to create a zone-wise or ward-wise plan to address the issue,” Narvekar said.

Vidya Chavan (Nationalist Congress Party) said with the monsoon approaching, faulty pipelines going through nullahs could lead to health hazards.

Yogesh Sagar, minister of state for urban development, replied, “The BMC will be directed to prepare a draft plan in the matter.”

Patil said residents of Prem Nagar slums in Goregaon have lodged a complaint with the BMC over supply of contaminated water and asked what measures the government would take to stop it.

The minister of state said, “After the BMC receives a complaint, between that and the next cycle, they rectify the issue. Water supply is not restored till it is solved, to prevent supply of contaminated water.”

First Published: Jun 27, 2019 13:32 IST