Water scare: 511 new borewells in 2 months……..Clara Lewis
MUMBAI: Water-starved Mumbai is seeing a rush for borewells as well as water tankers. The BMC has built 511 new borewells in just two months.
Meanwhile, the demand for tankers in a city burdened by a 15% water cut has seen around 100 new tankers added to the fleet of about 1,000 within a few months, said Parminder Singh Hanspal, president, Mumbai Suburban Water Transport Association. The BMC is spending on building borewells even on private properties, like housing societies.
Meanwhile, the groundwater table is falling. A report by the Central Ground Water Board says it ranges from 0.11 metre/year in Churchgate to 0.38 metre/year at Aarey Milk Colony.
As Hanspal shockingly revealed, “Earlier, it would take around 30 minutes to fill a 10,000-litre tanker. Now it takes approximately four hours.”