The estimation was made in a white paper prepared by the water supply department on the demand of the BMC Standing Committee members. They had raised questions on inadequate water supply in slum areas, hilly parts and even in highrises practically every week.
The white paper states that the steps the civic administration plans to take to improve water supply will be tabled in next week’s committee meeting.
“The corporators wanted to know when the water supply will be adequate and equitable. As per our projections on the rise in population and source augmentation, the demand will be met in the year 2021 (see box),” said a senior civic official on the condition of anonymity.
The BMC is now banking on the Rs 1,600-crore Middle Vaitarna project expected to be complete in 2012, to add 450 mld to the 3,450 mld water being supplied now.
“We can undertake other projects including Gargai and Pinjal only after Middle Vaitarna is completed. It will take at least 10 years to get environmental clearance and funds to initiate these two projects,” the official said.
The Gargai and Pinjal dams, to be located in Thane district, are expected to provide 455 mld and 865 mld of water respectively.
To breach the demand-supply gap, the civic administration has undertaken steps like curbing per capita supply to 90 litre per person per day instead of the national norm of 150. Also all the new constructions whose demand is more than 2 lakh litre per day will not be given water connection, until the Middle Vaitarna project is completed.
The white paper states that to improve the situation, the civic administration has undertaken and will undertake initiatives like reducing leakages, and use of universal water meters and telescopic rates. “We are in the process of starting work on the Water Distribution Improvement Project to arrest non-revenue water (leakages) and also to ensure equal distribution,” the official said. As per estimates, 20 per cent of the 3,450 mld supplied is wasted due to dilapidated pipelines, thefts in slums and breakage in utilities.
There is nothing much the BMC can do now to meet the demand, said BMC officials. “Through awareness campaigns and rainwater harvesting, we hope to make citizens understand the need of using water judiciously and avoiding wastage. Or else we will have to wait till 2021, when we hope to plug the demand-supply gap.”
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/city-will-cry-for-water-till-2021/463222/